The Dragon and the Bow
by Finmonster
Summary: Political marriages are nothing new. Times are hard even in the harsh Northlands, with dragons and marauders in abundance and allies few and far between. But when Hiccup and Merida are forced together to forge an alliance between Berk and the Highlands, will the result be heartbreak or will unexpected feelings defeat an ancient evil that threatens to turn the world to ash?
1. History Lesson

**The Dragon and the Bow**

**Prologue: History Lesson**

_Somewhere upon the open ocean_,

Waves crested and crashed together as the wind howled over the vast blue expanses of the Northern Sea. Cutting through the icy waters was a small fleet of longships, their hard wooden frames impervious to the lapping salt water. Wind pushed against their massive sails while dozens of oars rowed rhythmically through the sea.

Within the belly of one of the larger longships, a young boy sat, curled up in a corner, wrapped in a brown, fur-lined blanket. He had short, dark red hair and icy blue eyes, which were closed as he tried to ease his turbulent stomach, holding his knees to his chest.

He did not move as the sound of someone approaching him reached his ears. The person was large and heavy, their footsteps booming against the wooden planks that groaned while trying to support the person's weight. As the person neared, the boy could hear the sound of wood knocking against wood every other step.

"Hauvnae got yer sea legs yit, eh laddie?" a masculine voice asked with a hearty laugh.

The boy simply shook his head in reply.

"Aye, Ah mind mah first time oan a ship" the man laughed again as he sat down next to the boy, the wood straining under his weight, "Turned sae green mah faither thocht Ah hud turned intae a troll!"

The boy chuckled in reply.

"What did you do, Granda?" the boy asked meekly.

"Well, Ah went doon intae th' hold, much like ye, an' 'en curled intae a baw, much like ye," the man continued, another chuckle escaping his lips, "An' 'en mah granda stumbled athwart me, an' he told me a story tae distract me frae th' rockin' o' th' ship."

"Can you tell me a story, Granda?" the boy requested.

"Whit dae ye hink Ah cam doon haur fur?" the man asked, "Whit kin' o' story would ye like tae hear?"

The boy merely shrugged.

"Well, Ahae got a story 'at Ah'd like tae tell ye," the man stated with another laugh, "It's a story o' grand adventure an' heroic bravery, unintended romance an' unexpectit frienship, a tale aboot peace an' war."

The boy slowly turned his head to peak an eye at the older man.

"Aye, Ah thocht 'at'd grab yer attention," the man surmised with a chuckle, "So, woold ya like tae hear it?"

The boy nodded in reply.

"At's whit Ah like tae hear," the man grinned, "First though, in order tae tell ye this story, Ah hae tae give ye a wee history lesson."

The boy lifted his head up completely, his full attention on the older man.

"Ye see, way back when th' Old Empire fell, the world plunged intae chaos," the man explained, dropping his voice low and waving his hands about for emphasis, "Kingdoms rose an' feel like waves on th' brine, dozens o' kings en' chiefs whose names are lost tae history. It was durin' thes time, in th' wintery wastes o' th' Norselands, 'at a man rose tae prominence an' unitit th' warin' tribes o' Vikings intae a single kingdom. They gae him th' title o' jarl an' he ruled th' warrior fowk wi' honur, as did his son, an' his son efter 'at."

"They ruled fur generations an' th' Norsemen ken peace," the man explained his voice dropping as he leaned closer to the boy, "Until th' dragons cam."

"Great beasts o' every size an' shape, leavin' death an' devastation in their wake," the man explained, "Ne'er afair hud dragons bin seen in such great numbers an' wi' such great fury. Th' Vikings were unprepared fur such an attack, only havin' dealt wi' lone dragons afair. Th' Vikings hud nae idea wa they were bein' beset by such a ferocious assault. Until th' Red Death cam."

"The Red Death?" the boy asked, his eyes wide with wonder, "What's that?"

"Th' most fearsome dragon 'at ever lived," the man replied ominously, "As big as a ben an' as tough as ane too, its rocky scales impervious tae even th' sharpest swords an' th' heaviest hammers. Its wingspan massive enough 'at it cud turn day intae nicht an' kick up windstorms wi' a single flutter! Its mooth wus as cavernous as a mineshaft an' contained ra upon ra o' massive, razor sharp teeth! It had four legs thick as tree trunks, ended in claws 'at cud slice a man in twain, armor an' aw, an' a massive tail ended in a spiked club 'at cud crush buildins' tae dust!"

The boy gasped, his eyes widening in fear.

"An' then there wus its breath, a fiery maelstrom o' death 'at cud turn a man tae cinders in an' instant!" the man continued, throwing his hands into the air dramatically, "This great beast drove th' ither dragons afair it like cattle, set on destroyin' th' Vikings in a stampede o' blood an' brimstone."

"Why?" the boy asked.

"Eh?" the man questioned.

"Why did the Red Death want to destroy the Vikings?" the boy asked, looking up at the man for answers.

"Nae ane wus ever sure why th' Red Death attacked," the man explained, "Some believe 'at th' dragon jist had an appetite fur destruction, an' it needed tae be slatit. Some believe 'at afair th' first jarl cam along, th' Vikings sacrificed tae th' Red Death like it wus a god, an' 'at it wus angry at th' jarl fur endin' th' practice. Some believe 'at th' first jarl had stolen some great treasure frae th' Red Death, like gold or jewels. Ithers believed 'at it wus a woman 'at th' jarl had taken frae th' dragon, specifically its wife."

"It's wife?" the boy asked, "Like a girl dragon?"

"Nae, like a woman," the man replied, "It's said th' Red Death took a woman as its wife efter she wus brocht tae th' dragon as a sacrifice but convinced it tae let her live instead."

"Do you think the jarl took the Red Death's wife, Granda?" the boy asked.

"Ah daenae richtly ken," the man replied with a shrug, "Whit is important is 'at th' Red Death an' its horde o' dragons scorched th' Norselands until they reached th' capital city where th' current jarl lived. They say 'at there wus a great battle, but in th' end, th' jarl wus killed, his kingdom burnt tae ashes an' th' Vikings scattered tae th' four winds."

"What happened to the Vikings?" the boy asked.

"They reformed their auld tribes, an' took tae warrin' wi' each ither again, as weel as fichtin' wi' neighborin' kingdoms. Most importantly, nae too lang ago, there wus a war between th' Viking tribe o' Berk an' th' Highland kingdoms" the man explained, his eyes dimming in memory, "It wus a bloody affair, an' there wus much lost on both sides, but in th' end, th' Vikings were defeatit an' retreatit tae there island hame while th' four Highland kingdoms unitit under th' single banner o' Clan Dunbroch. There wisnae tae be ony peace though."

"What happened, Granda?" the boy asked.

"There cam a new enemy, ane 'at clashed wi' every kingdom upon th' Northern Sea. They were ca'ed th' Vendal, an' between them an' the swarms o' dragons hauntin' th' skies, th' Northlands knew no peace."

"Who are the Vendal?" the boy asked.

"Whit are they would be mair appropriate, Ah think," the man replied, "Mair beast 'en men they were, livin' in caves an' fichtin' like mad animals. Some even claimed they ate those they killed. Worst o' aw though wus there leader."

"Who was their leader?" the boy questioned.

"A monster o' a man," the man replied solemnly, his eyes clouded with thought, "They ca'ed him Mor'du, th' Demon Bear."

"What did he look like?" the boy asked, though he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

"Ah'll tell ye, because Ah saw him," the man said, looking at the boy intensely, "And it wus somethin' Ah wull nae soon furget."

As his grandfather began the tale, the boy closed his eyes again, feeling himself being pulled into the story. No longer did he feel the rocking of the boat or hear the creaking of the wood. He had been pulled away from that. Instead he heard the whistling of a winter wind across the Highland hills and felt the cold blast of late winter snow on his face.

High upon a cliffside, overlooking a lake, was a large castle, its walls and towers made out of brown stone blocks. People came and went among the walls and the keep, traveling across the stone bridge that gapped the moat surrounding the structure. A light snow fell upon the castle, caking it and the surrounding forest in white while the lake was cast in a dark blue.

Moving about the bustling people as naturally as a fish through water, was a girl no older then fifteen. She had a wild mane of bright, curly red hair that if straight would have most likely touched the ground, but instead stuck out in every direction. She had a slim build, fair skin dotted with freckles and icy blue eyes. She wore a dark blue dress with white trim along with a black cloak and leather riding boots. A quiver filled with white fletched arrows was strapped to her hip by a leather belt while a wooden recurve bow was slung around her shoulder.

She moved through the crowd before entering the castle through a pair of wooden doors. She paused to shiver off the cold as she shook the snow from her hair and stomped the mud from her boots before making her way through the stone hallways, her way lit by torches set in scones along the walls.

Eventually, she came to another set of large doors from which the sound of muffled voices could be heard through. Entering, she found herself in a large two-storied meeting chamber. At the center of the room was a large wooden table, on which dozen of plates filled with delicious looking food sat. Above, a wooden chandelier hung from the stone ceiling while two sets of wooden stairs flanked the entrance she came in through. Against the opposite wall were six stone thrones of various sizes which sat facing the door.

At the table, five people had gathered. At the head of the table, facing the door, was a large middle-aged man. He had wild red hair like the girl's, though his had begun to grey with age and was held in check by the iron cap he wore. He also sported a trimmed goatee and a massive mustache that stuck out perpendicular to his nose. He had icy blue eyes that peeked out from underneath his massive eyebrows. He wore brown leather and grey chainmail armor over his large frame, over which he wore a green and grey tartan held up by a large brown leather belt. He wore brown leather bracers and a black bearskin cape hung around his shoulder. His right foot was covered in a brown leather, fur-trimmed boot while his left was replaced with a knotted wooden peg leg.

Next to him sat a woman about the same age as him, looking over some letters. She had very long brown grey-streaked hair that almost touched the ground, tied back in two braids, and woven with golden colored thread that kept it out of her brown eyes. She wore a green and black colored dress with gold trim and billowing sleeves over her fair, slim frame along with cloth slippers on her feet. Around her waist hung a belt of interlocking gold circles and on her head sat a golden tiara imbedded with an emerald.

Next to her sat three young boys, each identical to the others. They had fair skin with rosy cheeks, curly red hair and bright blue eyes. They wore the same green and grey tartan robes held up by large brown leather belts. They also had identical brown leather shoes on their feet.

As the girl entered, she saw that the man was in the middle of telling a story, which none of the others seemed particularly interested in.

"He stood twelve feet tall, a claymore in ane hand an' a war axe in th' ither," the man said as the girl snuck in, apparently unseen by all, "He wears th' hide o' a massive black bear as a trophy, its hide littered wi' th' weapons o' fallen warriors."

"His bodied is marred by thousands o' battles," the man continued, not noticing one of the boys had fallen asleep, another was picking at his food in boredom and the third was perfectly lip-synching with the man's tale, "His face scarred wi' ane deid eye! Ah drew ma sword and-!"

"Slash!" the girl shouted, jumping in between the boys and startling them, "Da's leg wus clean aff!"

"Aw," the man groaned, looking disappointed, "At's ma favorite pairt, Merida."

"Sorry, Da," she giggled as she sat down at the empty seat at the table, "But we'ae heard th' story o' Mor'du an' his Vendal hordes invadin' a thousand times before."

"Well, 'at's because it's ma favorite story," her father explained, "And ane day, Ah'll pay 'at savage back whit he did tae me wi' interest, isnae 'at richt, Elinor?"

"O' course ye wull, Fergus," the woman replied, not looking up from her letters.

Merida giggled again as she slung her bow off from her shoulder and placed it on the table while reaching for a plate to serve herself dinner.

"A lady does nae place weapons on th' table," Elinor chided, still not looking up from her letters.

"Ma!" Merida groaned, rolling her eyes as she dejectedly took her bow off the table and leaned it against her chair.

"In ma opinion, a lady should nae hae weapons at aw," Elinor continued, glancing at Merida as she glared at her.

"Let her hae her fun," Fergus replied with a chuckle, "She's jist a lass efter aw."

"She wonae be a lass furever though," Elinor replied as she picked up another letter and opened it. She looked at it in confusion for a few moments before her eyes widened in surprise and she began to read it intently, holding the parchment with two hands.

"Fergus," she said harshly, catching her husband's attention just as he was about to bite into a leg of lamb, "look at this!"

Fergus took the letter and quickly read it over, a look of surprise on his face.

"He agreed tae th' terms?" Fergus asked.

"This wus his idea," Elinor replied.

"Still, Ah didnae think he'd accept a' th' terms," Fergus stated.

"These are tryin' times," Elinor said, "He's got few friens an' mony enemies. Ah'm sure he'd like tae reverse 'at."

"He doesnae hae ony friens," Fergus stated matter-of-factly.

"Exactly," Elinor replied.

"Ah'm still nae sure aboot this," Fergus stated, glancing over at Merida who was busily devouring a sweet roll, "Ye ken she's nae gaun tae like this."

"Trust me, Ah ken," Elinor sighed, "But there comes a time in everyane's life whaur they hae tae accept their fate. Especially when th' fate o' two peoples hangs in th' balance."

"Alright," Fergus sighed in defeat as he nodded his head, "Should we tell her noo?"

"Tell me whit?" Merida asked, looking up from her dinner in confusion.

"Looks like 'at answers th' question," Fergus mumbled, "Boys, why dinnae ye wait ootside while we talk tae yer sister."

"Actually," Elinor interjected, "Ah think it wull be better fur them tae hear it noo instead o' later."

"Alright," Fergus said solemnly as the four siblings looked at each other in confusion.

"We hae jist received a letter frae Stoick th' Vast," Fergus began, holding up the letter in questioned.

"Dae ye ken wha 'at is, Merida?" Elinor asked.

"He's th' chieftain o' th' Berk Vikings," Merida replied, confused, "Th' anes wha invaded when Ah wus a wee lass. Whit does he want?"

"He wants peace between oor peoples," Fergus explained, "and an alliance."

"An alliance?" Merida questioned, her heart dropping as she realized where this was headed.

"Yes," Elinor replied, "An alliance 'at must be sealed wi' a marriage."

"M-Marriage?" Merida mumbled in shock as her brothers looked at their parents in surprise.

"Stoick has a son yer age," Elinor continued, "Frae whit Ah understand, he's a very nice boy."

"Ah dinnae care if he's a nice boy!" Merida shouted, suddenly exploding with anger, rising from her chair and knocking it to the ground "Ah'm nae gaun tae be some…some…Viking's hoor!"

"Merida!" Elinor admonished, rising as well.

"I wonae dae it! Ye cannae mak me!" Merida shriek, glaring at her mother.

"Merida, be reasonable," Fergus pleaded.

"Reasonable!?" Merida exclaimed, "Ye want me tae be reasonable!? Reasonable isnae marryin' yer only daughter aff tae a complete stranger, tae th' son o' ane o' yer worst enemies! Ah'm no some game piece ye can use as ye wish! Ah'm no givin' up ma freedom fur some deal ye struck wi' some savage!"

"Dae ye understand whit's at stake here!?" Elinor exclaimed, her fury rising, "Dae ye ken th' price yer freedom wull cost!? Ye wull dae this an' 'at's final!"

Merida tried desperately to find something to say, something biting to counter her mother's argument. Instead all she found was sorrow as she burst into tears. Sobbing, she turned and ran from the room, slamming the doors behind her.

"We cudae handled 'at better," Fergus commented, slouching in his seat.

"Ah ken," Elinor sighed, sitting back in her chair as well, "She's jist so…stubborn."

"Sounds like someane else Ah ken," Fergus commented, earning a glare from his wife.

"Ah'm no 'at stubborn," Elinor shot back. Fergus chose not to comment, instead focusing his attention on the three frightened boys staring at them.

"Is Merida…really gaun awa?" one of them asked.

"Ah'm afraid so, Hamish," Elinor said, reaching down and pulling the young boy into her lap, "She's gaun tae gae live wi' th' Vikings."

"Why?" another asked, crawling into her lap as well.

"Well Harris, it's sae 'at both oor people an' theirs can see 'at we are unitit as friens," Elinor explained.

"Whit if we daenae like him?" the third questioned, hanging onto the chair's armrest.

"Well then Hubert, Ah suppose ye wull hae tae deal wi' him," Elinor replied, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Whit if they daenae like her?" Hamish asked.

"Then they wull hae tae answer tae me," Elinor replied simply, a full smile on her face.

Meanwhile, up in her room, Merida lay facedown in her bed, sobbing into her pillow and cursing her fate along with every Viking who had ever lived.

A/N: So after giving it the barest of hints at the end of Heaven's Light seemed like a lot of people wanted me to write a Brave/How to Train Your Dragon crossover. So here it is! I hope you guys enjoy it, as you may have been able to tell, I'm going with a bit of a different take on some elements of the stories, tell me what you think! Please review!


	2. Betrothed

**Chapter 2: Betrothed**

The cold Northern Sea churned as four longships made their way across the blue expanse of the water, the winds filling their sails and their oars cutting through the ocean foam. Each of the ships flew a flag depicting a downward pointing sword in front of four interlocking circles upon a field of green.

Merida leaned against the railing on the deck of one of the boats, glaring out at the sea as the wind fluttered her red hair, making it look like she was ablaze with anger.

Standing behind her were three young men around her age. One was tall and athletic, with fair skin and a skinny yet muscular physique. He had long wavy brown hair which hung partially over the left side of his face, obscuring one of his blue eyes as well as his large ears and part of his prominent nose. He wore a red and green tartan robe, partially revealing his bare chest underneath, along with a pair of tall brown leather boots and leather bracers on his wrists. He wore a claymore strapped to his back and a leather belt around his waist. Blue war paint swirled down his right arm from his shoulder to his wrist.

The young man standing to his right was larger in both height and girth. He had fair skin and a stout physique. He had blonde hair tied back in a braided ponytail along with some blonde stumble on his round face. He wore a grey wool tunic under a set of brown leather armor, over which he wore a green and red tartan robe, held up by brown leather belt. A pair of fur lined, black leather boots covered his feet. His blue eyes were filled with worry as he played with his large hands nervously.

The last young man stood to the first's left. He was the smallest of them, standing even shorter than Merida. He had bleach blonde hair that struck straight up from his head and dull blue eyes that didn't seem to observe the world around him along with fair skin, a skinny build and rather large ears. He wore a brown tunic under his green and brown tartan robe, which was held up by a brown leather belt around his waist. His feet were covered with brown leather boots.

"Sae they just told ye ye had tae marry this guy?" the middle boy asked.

"Aye, William," she grumbled, glaring out at the sea, "Just oot o' th' blue, nae discussion or anythin'."

"'At ain't right," the short one said with a dazed voice.

"Thanks fer statin' th' obvious, Boyd," William sighed, rolling his eyes, causing the other boy to shrug dumbly.

"Are ye alright, Merida?" the large boy mumbled.

"Dae Ah look like Ah'm alright, Andra!?" Merida snapped, whirling around and glaring at the large boy with tear-filled eyes. The outburst caused Andra to jump back in fright and curl up on himself, playing with his hands even more as he looked away from her.

Merida sighed as she lowered her eyes.

"Ah'm sorry, Andra" she said, looking apologetically at the young man, "Ah didnae mean tae snap at ye."

"It's alright, Merida," William replied, patting Andra on the shoulder in an effort to relax him, "This thin' has got us all on edge."

"Yer nae th' ane who has tae marry a damn Viking fer some peace treaty," Merida growled, her anger rising again.

"Nae, but we're still makin' peace wi' a bunch of blood-thirsty savages at th' expense o' ane o' ma oldest friends," William replied, taking a step forward and pointing his finger at Merida. This seemed to pacify the princess, who folded her arms and sighed, looking back at the dark blue waters beyond the boat.

"Ah just…" she sighed, turning back to look at the boys, "It feels like Ah'm trapped. Ah keep looking fer a way out, but there ain't. At least, not without resortin' tae something'…drastic."

The boys looked at her in confusion, but she declined to elaborate further.

"Ah feel like Ah'm a sheep bein; lead tae th; slaughter," Merida said, looking at her friends, "Ah know ma doom is approachin', but there's nothin' Ah can dae tae save maself."

"It might nae be 'at bad," Boyd spoke up, "Ah mean, ma parents were an arranged marriage, and they're happy. Sae are yers."

"Aye but 'at ain't th; same thing, Boyd," William replied, turning his attention to the smaller boy, "Yer parents, ma parents, Andra and Merida's parents are all from th' Highlands. Merida's would-be husband is a Viking. They arenae like us. They're a bunch o' blood-thirsty savages who like nothin' more than tae kill, destroy, plunder an' rape. Th' only way this cud be worse is if Merida had tae marry a damned Vendal."

Boyd became quite and his eyes fell to the deck as Merida hugged herself harder, becoming more agitated thanks to William's speech. William noticed and sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Sorry, Merida," William said, "Ah shouldnae have said all 'at."

"Daenae worry abit it, William," Merida replied, "It's nae like what ya said wasnae true."

"Merida!" the voice of Queen Elinor called from across the ship. Turning, Merida saw her mother approaching her.

"Merida, there ya are" the queen huffed, slightly out of breath.

"Yer Highness," the three boys said together, bowing to the queen.

"Oh, hello boys," Elinor replied, nodding to them, "Helpin' Merida prepare fer today?"

"In a manner o' speakin'," William replied with a shrug, Andra and Boyd nodding in agreement.

"Good, but we're approachin' Berk now, and Ah have tae make sure Merida is ready," she explained, before waving the boys away, "Ya should all go find yer fathers."

The boys nodded before bowing again and leaving, waving to Merida as they went. She waved meekly back to them, before turning to face her mother. Elinor gave her a small smile, which Merida returned with a look of utter misery.

"Chin up now, Merida," Elinor stated, cupping her daughter's chin, "A princess does nae let others see her sorrow."

Merida sniffed and wiped her eyes on her sleeve, before turning back to her mother, forcing her face into a neutral expression.

"Very good," Elinor said, before taking Merida's hand and leading her below the ship's deck, "Now come along, we have tae get ya into yer dress."

Merida sighed, dreading what bundle of cloth and straps her mother was going to force her into.

_Later,_

To the north of the longships, amongst the crashing waves and the mighty glaciers, an island rose out of the churning sea. At first glance, the island seemed little more than a collection of massive rocks jutting up into the sky like a festering wound. Upon the top of the sheer cliffs that made up the edges of the island was relatively flatter land that allowed the growth of sparse vegetation in some areas and a thick forest near the center. Birds of various types could be seen flying about the island and sheep were grazing upon the sparse grass.

On the south side of the island, there was a cove that broke through the otherwise impassible cliff walls, providing the only safe harbor on the entire island. Within the cove, upon its rocky, dry shores, a village had been built. The settlement continued up from the cove, buildings of various sizes built up the sloping hills and surrounding cliff faces, encroaching towards the center of the island.

People made their way around the village, going from task to task. They were all large individuals, strong and muscular, both the men and the women. They all seemed to be dressed in either armor or heavy furs, and while they all possessed the same pale skin their hair color varied from pitch black to bright blonde to fiery red. The men wore long beards woven in complicated patterns, matched only by those the women had woven into their long hair.

One person however stood out amongst them. Where they were tall, he was short. Where they were muscular, he was skinny. Where they were intimidating and proud, he was shy and unsure. His hair was a dull auburn that hung loosely on his head, almost falling into his pale green eyes. He wore a brown, fur vest over a sea green wool tunic along with a pair of darker green trousers and awkwardly large brown, fur-lined boots.

He made his way through the bustling crowds in his attempt to reach his destination. Everyone seemed to be doing something, and they were doing it in a hurry. Decorations were being hung up and preparations being made. The town was looking its best, which meant the town was looking its fiercest. Just in time too.

"Longships!" a lookout called from one of the watch towers, "Highlanders! The Bear King approaches!"

Looking out into the harbor, he could just make out what the lookout had spotted. Four longships were approaching the island, their oars cutting through the water as the wind pushed against their sails, flags fluttering from the masts of the ships, each depicting the symbol of the Highland Kingdoms, the symbol of Clan DunBroch.

"Hiccup!" a loud voice called out catching the young man's attention. He looked in the direction that the voice had come from and found a large man lumbering up to him. He was a middle aged man who stood almost twice as tall as the young man. He had blue eyes and blonde hair which, because of his bald head, was only apparent through his large unibrow and his long, Fu Manchu-style mustache that has been braided elaborately and decorated with numerous ornaments. He wore a metal helm with long horns on either side, the one on the right held together by linen wrappings. He wore a black fur vest similar to the boy's along with a tan coarse tunic underneath it, and a pair of ill-fitting, brown and tan stripped trousers. Half of his right arm was missing, ending in a metal cup that extended in a makeshift hammer made of wood and a large rock tied together, while his other hand and arm were covered in old wrappings. In addition, his left leg was also missing, replaced with shoddily carved, wooden peg leg. A brown, fur lined boot covered his other foot.

"Hiccup!" he called again as he ran up, "There ya are, lad. Yer father's been lookin' fer ya."

"Great," the young man, Hiccup, said, rolling his eyes, "Where is he, Gobber?"

"Down by th' docks, o' course," Gobber stated, "Or did ya ferget we've got a hostile royal entourage comin' tae visit."

"Trust me, that's one thing I did not forget," Hiccup stated with a resigned sigh as he began to make his way towards the docks.

"Hey, cheer up, lad," Gobber replied, following Hiccup, "At least this way ya can actually help th' village fer a change. Ya know, unless th' Bear King chops yer head off fer bein' too weak an; pathetic fer his daughter an' restarts th' war."

"Thanks Gobber," Hiccup sighed, rolling his eyes, "I can always rely on you for moral support."

"It's what Ah'm here fer," Gobber replied, completely missing Hiccup's sarcasm.

Hiccup said nothing as the two of them made their way down to the simple wooden docks, where a large group of Vikings were waiting for the approaching ships. At the head of the group was a truly massive man, standing a head taller than most of the already impressively sized men. He had thick, auburn hair, stern, pale green eyes and an impressively large beard that hung down to his barrel chest, the ends tied in knots. He wore a dark green tunic over his massive frame, along the brown trousers and brown, leather boots. A large leather belt, studded with iron and held up by a belt buckle depicting a snarling dragon, a kilt of iron scalemail hanging from it. He wore a mighty horned iron helmet on his head and studded leather bracers on his wrists. A large, brown, fur cape hung from his shoulders, held up by iron clasps depicting the same snarling dragon.

Next to the man, on his right, stood another large man. He had jet black hair, a black beard of stumble and dark brown eyes. He wore a dark grey, sleeveless tunic, along with matching trousers and brown leather boots. He wore a studded leather belt around his waist, secured with an iron belt buckle, and a scalemail kilt hanging from it. He wore bracers made of padded cloth and twine on his wrists, and a horned iron helmet on his head. A brown, fur cape hung from his shoulders, held up by metal clasps.

On the other man's side stood a large muscular woman. She had straw blonde hair which was held back in a braid, and piercing blue eyes. She wore a brown, leather breastplate and a skirt made of individual strips of red, studded leather. She wore a small, brown fur cape held up by metal clasps and brown leather boots. An iron helmet with tall horns sat on her head.

With the two adults were two children the same age as Hiccup's age. With the man was a boy with spikey black hair, dark brown eyes, and a pug nose. He wore a green linen tunic and a black fur vest over his muscular physique and a pair of fur-lined, brown, leather boots on his feet. He wore a pair of dark grey trousers, held up by a dark grey, leather belt with an iron belt buckle. He had brown, leather bracers on his wrists and an iron helmet decorated with black goat horns on his head.

With the woman was a girl with straw blonde hair held back in a long braid along with a red, studded leather headband, though she still had long strands that flanked her face and bangs that obscured the left of her piercing blue eyes. She wore a sea green tunic and tight black trousers over her slim, athletic physique. In addition, she wore a skirt made of red, studded leather straps held up by a belt decorated with small skulls. Also, she wore brown, fur-lined boots, tan wrappings around her wrists and lower arms, and iron, spiked pauldrons on her shoulders.

Hiccup forced his way through the crowd of Vikings that was behind the five people, stumbling as he reached the end, causing the boy to snort and the girl to roll her eyes.

"Nice of you to show up," the girl commented, folding her arms and turning to look at the longships, which were in the process of docking.

"Sorry, had big, important…stuff that needed taking care of," Hiccup explained weakly as he straightened his clothes.

"Probably fell into a ditch tripping over those scrawny legs of yours," the boy chuckled, glancing at Hiccup who glared back.

"That's enough, Snotlout," the man behind him said, eyeing him.

"Sorry," he replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Hiccup," the large man stated, catching the boy's attention, "Son."

"Hey Dad," Hiccup replied awkwardly, looking up at his father.

"Today's an important day, Hiccup," the large man stated seriously, looking Hiccup dead in the eye, "Everythin' has to go right."

"Yeah, of course, I know that," Hiccup said, rubbing his right arm nervously.

"Good, so ya know I need ya to be…well not you," his father stated, struggling to find the words he needed.

"Good luck with that, right Astrid?" Snotlout snorted, turning to look at the girl. She ignored him while the man behind him smacked him in the back of his head, shutting Snotlout up.

"I'm not sure I can really do that, Dad," Hiccup began nervously before noticing all the people eyeing him angrily, before forcing a smile on his face, "But I will, I will totally not be me. Totally."

"That's what I like to hear," his father replied, smiling at him, before turning his attention to the ships. Hiccup turned around, seeing the four ships had docked and soldiers dressed in tartan robes and metal armor, pouring out onto the docks, putting all the Vikings on edge. A few moments later, a herald forced his way to the front of the group before blaring the large brass horn he was carrying and snapping to attention.

"Presentin' King Fergus, th' Bear King, Head o' Clan DunBroch, Lord o' th' Highland Kingdoms an' his sons, th' Princes Hamish, Harris an' Hubert!"

When the herald was finished, the crowd of soldiers separated, allowing Fergus and his sons to walk to the front of the group. The triplets looked around nervously, eyeing the Vikings with fear filled eyes while Fergus locked eyes with Hiccup's father, his gaze never wavering as he approached.

"Stoick," he practically spat standing eye to eye with the chief.

"Fergus," Stoick replied, making a face like the word left a bad taste in his mouth.

"This is yer boy?" Fergus asked, looking down at Hiccup and clearly not impressed with what he saw.

"He is," Stoick replied simply, "Where's yer girl?"

"She'll be along," Fergus answered as the herald blew his horn again.

"Presentin' Lord Duff Macintosh, Head o' Clan Macintosh an' his son, William!" the herald called as William walked towards the front of the group with an older man, clearly his father. Duff Macintosh was a lanky man with a wiry build. He had jet black hair that puffed out in all directions with a matching chinstrap beard and blue eyes. He wore a red and green tartan robe and nothing else, showing off his bare chest, with a leather belt around his waist and leather, fur-lined, pointed shoes on his feet. He had swirling patterns painted on his arms and face in blue warpaint.

Duff took a position to Fergus' right, with William to his as well. William looked over Hiccup, raising an eyebrow at him, before sighing and shaking his head in disbelief.

"Presentin' Lord Gerald MacGuffin, Head o' Clan MacGuffin an' his son, Andra!" the herald called as Andra walked up to the front of the group accompanied by his father. Gerald MacGuffin was slightly larger than his son, standing a few inches taller and a few pounds heavier. Unlike his son's nervous expression, Gerald's was calm and serious. His blonde hair was tied into short pig tails on either side of his head, his thick mustache worn in a similar way. He had an equally thick beard and his eyebrows were so thick they obscured his blue eyes. He wore a grey tunic under brown, studded leather armor, over which he wore a green and red tartan robe. He had a brown leather belt around his waist, which a sheathed knife was slung from, along with brown leather shoes on his feet.

Gerald took a position to Fergus' left, with Andra on his left, mirroring the Macintoshes. Andra looked at Hiccup, before glancing at William, who shrugged in reply.

"Presentin' Lord Cameron Dingwall, Head o' Clan Dingwall, an' his son, Boyd!" the herald called yet again as Boyd and an older man walked down the docks. Cameron Dingwall was short and stout, much like his son, with a shock of white hair that shot straight up, accompanied by a thick mustache. His face was reddish in color and he dull blue eyes. He wore a dark grey tunic under a green and red tartan robe along with a brown leather belt and a brown leather boots.

They took up positions to Fergus' left, in front of the taller MacGuffins. Boyd didn't even glance at Hiccup, instead staring off into space.

"An' finally, presentin' Queen Elinor DunBroch, Lady o' th' Highland Kingdoms an' her daughter, Princess Merida!" the herald called one last time, as the king and the lords stepped aside to let the soon to be approaching woman walk by unimpeded.

"I bet you she's fat," Snotlout whispered, "Fat and with warts."

"If he's lucky, she'll be lame so he has to carry her around all the time," Astrid mumbled, glaring at the Highlanders "That way he can have an excuse to not be a skinny weakling."

Hiccup ignored the comments outwardly, but inwardly he was terrified. He was about to meet the girl he was going to marry. The girl he was going to share his bed with. The girl he was going to share the rest of his life with. This was huge and he had absolutely no idea what to expect. She could be hideous, like Snotlout said, she could be completely normal, she could be an assassin here to kill him and his father, she could be…

Hiccup's thoughts trailed off as Elinor and Merida came into view. Merida was now wearing a sky blue dress with gold trim, along with a gold sash around her waist. A wimple covered her mass of red hair, leaving a lone curl to stick out just above her eyes. Her blue eyes met with his green and he felt his heart skip a beat.

"…she could be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen," Hiccup mumbled to himself, so quiet that no one else could hear him.

"What?" Snotlout whined quietly, "Are you kidding me!?"

Astrid said nothing, instead choosing to glare at Merida, who glanced at her, briefly glared back at her before turning her attention back to Hiccup.

"Greetins," she stated awkwardly, curtsying to him "Ah am Merida o' Clan DunBroch, yer betrothed. It is a…pleasure tae meet ya."

Hiccup immediately noticed the awkwardness in her speech. She no doubt had as little say in all this as he did, which would be none. She definitely did not want to be here and was probably not as pleasantly surprised about seeing him as he was of seeing her.

As Hiccup thought, Merida held out her hand for him to take. He hesitantly reached out and took her hand in his, before bowing to her.

"Greetings," Hiccup copied, "I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third of Berk, your betrothed. It is a pleasure to meet you as well."

He then quickly leaned down and kissed her hand before straightening up, allowing her to yank her hand back, looking away from him.

"Well, now 'at everyone is introduced," Fergus stated, "Ah guess we move on to th' next order o' business."

"Right, we'll go to arena and we can discuss th' exacts of th' treaty while my son has his honor bought," Stoick replied as he turned to go along with the two groups of people.

"Honor bought?" Hiccup asked no one in particular, "What honor bought?"

"You didn't know?" Astrid commented, "You have to fight the Princess' champion to prove you're worthy of her."

"Who's her champion?" Hiccup questioned.

"My best guess?" Astrid said, turning as she continued to walk away, indicating behind Hiccup, "One of those guys."

Turning, Hiccup saw William, Andra and Boyd walking by, each of them glaring at him.

"Have fun," Snotlout chuckled, bumping Hiccup's shoulder as he walked by. Hiccup gulped nervously before reluctantly following.

A/N: Thank you all for the amazing feedback on the last chapter, it really pushed me to get this next one out as soon as possible. I hope you guys liked this one. As you may have noticed, I went with the idea of the young lords being old friends of Merida. I felt that with her father being old friends with the lords, she would have met them as a child and befriended them. Also hope you guys liked the names I chose for them. Also trying to cut back on the Scottish accent, because a few people said they found it hard to read and I don't want to pull you guys out of the story. Once again, feedback is always helpful, so please review!


	3. Decorum

**Chapter 3: Decorum**

Near the center of the village, an arena had been built, dug into the solid rock of the island itself. People gathered around the top edge of the arena where a caged dome had been built over the top. At one end of the arena, looming over it, was a seating area where Stoick, Fergus, Elinor, Merida and the three lords sat, mostly in chairs that had been hastily provided for them. Everyone else was gathered around the lip of the arena, looking down into it.

The arena had a simple dirt floor and the walls were made of hardened stone that was scorched in many places. On one side of the arena, beneath the seating area, were a number of wooden doors with chains attached to outside, allowing them to be opened. On the opposite side there was a ramp leading down into the arena from the outside, cut off by a portcullis.

Inside the arena, Hiccup stood alone, a sword and a round wooden shield sitting next to him while William, Andra and Boyd stood a few feet in front of him.

"So um…how does this work?" Hiccup asked, nervously scratching the back of his head.

"Really?" William asked, surprised, "Ya daenae know?"

"People don't really keep me in the loop around here," Hiccup replied with a shrug.

William sighed and shook his head in disgust.

"Ya challenge ane o' us tae single combat tae prove 'at yer worthy o' th' princess' hand," he explained, crossing his arms and glaring at Hiccup.

"Wait," Hiccup stated, holding his hands up, "I get to pick which one of you I fight?"

"Aye," William replied, rolling his eyes, "Since it's supposed tae be ya offerin' th' challenge fer her hand, 'at means ya get tae pick who yer challengin'. It's all basically just a ceremony recreatin' th' old story of a prince rescuin' a princess an' takin' her as his bride."

"So, we're not really fighting?" Hiccup questioned, "Like not to kill each other, right?"

"Aye, technically we're nae tryin' tae kill each other," William answered before grinning savagely at him, "But accidents dae happen."

Hiccup gulped nervously, eyeing each of the boys. William looked like he was bred to fight, and was itching to use that sword strapped to his back. Andra didn't seem to have quite the same fighting instinct as he nervously played with his hands. But Hiccup was sure if that he chose the large boy that it wouldn't take him long to snap the Viking teen like a twig. So Hiccup's eyes turned to Boyd, the blonde's eyes glazed over as he stared at nothing, trapped inside his own little world. Looking Boyd over, Hiccup saw that he wasn't much bigger than he was, in fact Hiccup had a few inches on him. He smirked as he made his decision.

"Well I guess I'll fight him then," Hiccup stated, pointing to Boyd.

"What!?" William asked, throwing his hands into the air out of exasperation. Duff Macintosh made a similar movement next to Fergus as Cameron Dingwall smiled at Hiccup's choice. Fergus raised his eyebrow at the choice as Elinor offered no comment. Merida however, glared down at the arena, her icy blue eyes never looking away from Hiccup. Stoick nodded before pushing himself to his feet and raising his hands, drawing all attention to himself.

"The challenger has chosen Boyd Dingwall as Princess Merida's champion!" he declared, "The two will now fight to determine if the challenger, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the third, is worthy of Princess Merida's hand!"

As Stoick talked, William and Andra began to move to the side of the arena to be out of the way of the fight. As he walked by, William paused and placed a hand on Boyd's shoulder, seemingly snapping the young man back to reality.

"Yer up, Boyd," William said, giving the blonde's arm a squeeze, "Give him a cut fer me."

Boyd nodded as Andra tossed a shield and an axe over to him. As he picked them up, Hiccup picked up his weapons as well, barely able to hold his shield aloft. As Andra and William stepped to the side, Stoick lifted his hand into the air.

"Begin!" he shouted, throwing his hand down.

Hiccup and Boyd faced off against each other, shields raised and weapons at the ready.

"So, this is just kind of ceremony, right?" Hiccup asked as he and Boyd began to slowly circle each other.

"Right," Boyd agreed.

"So, no need to really hurt each other, right?" Hiccup continued, struggling to hold his weapon and shield up, "I mean, it's not real after all."

"Yer right," Boyd replied, giving a slight nod, "Ah mean, if Ah were tae kill ya, 'at wud probably start another war."

"Same if I killed you," Hiccup replied with a nervous chuckle.

"'At's nae possible," Boyd stated matter-of-factly.

"Okay…" Hiccup said awkwardly, "So what do you say we keep this simple? Just play it to the crowd, and call it a day, you know?"

"Nae, Ah daenae think sae," Boyd replied, slowly shaking his head as his eyes seemed to actually focus on Hiccup for the first time, "See, ma da an' ma countrymen are countin' on me now tae beat ya good."

Hiccup felt his stomach drop as a chill ran up his spine.

"Ah mean sure Ah cannae kill ya, but ma da' is an important lord in th' king's court an' Merida's been ma friend fer a long time. Let me tell ya, none o' them like ya. Th' king doesnae like ya. Ma father doesnae like ya. Th' princess doesnae like ya. And Ah daenae like ya."

Hiccup gulped as he felt his palms get sweaty, having trouble keeping his grip on his sword.

"Sae Ah cannae kill ya because we need this treaty, but 'at doesnae mean Ah cannae hurt ya, cannae maim ya. I mean nae much. Cannae cut off a hand or anythin'. Maybe an ear, or even a foot."

Hiccup's face paled at the thought as Boyd played with his axe while the crowd began to grow restless.

"King has ane foot," Boyd commented, "He gets by fine. Anyway, Ah'm tired o' talkin', let's fight!"

Before Hiccup could say anything more, Boyd charged at him, axe raised and a war call on his tongue. Hiccup quickly raised his shield, blocking the weapon as it dug into the wooden shield. The shock of the blow knocked Hiccup back, barely able to keep a hold on his shield as Boyd pulled his axe free of the shield.

"Yeah, Boyd!" William shouted from the side, shaking his fists, "Get him!"

Just as Hiccup was able to recover, Boyd ran up, his axe raised to strike again. Hiccup put his shield up to defend, but Boyd instead kicked the shield, sending Hiccup tumbling backwards, his shield tumbling away. As Hiccup scrambled to his feet, picking up his sword just as Boyd rushed him. Boyd swung at him which Hiccup managed to clumsily block with his sword. As he did, Boyd quickly slammed Hiccup with his shield, sending Hiccup tumbling away again, dropping his sword as he did so.

The Scots cheered again as Hiccup was knocked to the ground, including Merida who jumped from her seat and throwing her hands into the air, earning her a stern glare from her mother. Merida grumbled as she sat back down, while Stoick put his hand over his face, hiding his look of embarrassment.

Back in the arena, Boyd didn't let Hiccup recover, rushing the downed Viking teen with his axe raised. Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise as he rolled to the side, dodging the axe head as it dug into the ground. As Hiccup pushed himself to his knees, Boyd charged at him again with a wicked war call. He swung for Hiccup's neck, forcing the young man to duck, a few hairs being sliced off by Boyd's blade. As Boyd stumbled forward, Hiccup rolled past him, running over to where he had dropped his sword. He grabbed it and turned to face Boyd as the Highlander rushed at him. Hiccup raised his sword as Boyd slashed at him again, their two weapons clanging against each other, sending sparks flying as they met.

As the two pushed against each other, Boyd quickly spun around and smashed his shield into Hiccups side, sending the young man sprawling. As Hiccup tried to pick himself up, Boyd ran up and kicked him in the side, knocking the young man onto his back as all the air was forced from his lungs.

"Cut his head off, Boyd!" William shouted from the side as Andra clapped his big hands in excitement. Meanwhile, up in the stands, the Vikings groaned at Hiccup's display while the Highlanders cheered. Merida quietly cheered from her seat, pumping her fists while making sure her mother didn't see her.

"Come on, Hiccup!" Gobber shouted, "Daenae just lie there. Dae somethin'!"

Hiccup groaned as he saw Boyd step over him, axe pointed at him.

"Sae, which foot will it be?" Boyd asked nonchalantly, "Th' left or th' right?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe this one!" Hiccup shouted as he kicked his foot up, hitting Boyd in the back, sending the young man stumbling forward. Hiccup took the opportunity to roll to his feet and quickly lash out with his sword. The blade found Boyd's shoulder, cutting slightly into the flesh and drawing blood.

Boyd hissed in pain, dropping his axe and his shield as he grasped the wound while stumbling to a stop. Hiccup took the advantage, rushing up to Boyd's side and pointing his sword at the other boy's neck.

"Looks like I win," Hiccup commented, trying hard to catch his breath.

"Lucky swing," Boyd grumbled, glaring at Hiccup.

"Better to be lucky than good," Hiccup replied, shrugging his shoulders.

Up in the stands, Stoick sighed and rolled his eyes, thanking the gods for his son's mediocre victory as the Highlanders grumbled at Boyd's sudden defeat. Stoick quickly stepped back up and raised his hands to catch everyone's attention again.

"The challenger has succeeded in defeating the princess' champion!" he declared, a thankful smile on his face as the Vikings cheered while the Highlanders quietly groaned, "He has proven himself worthy of the princess' hand in marriage!"

Merida quietly seethed in her chair, glaring down at Hiccup, her fists bunched into fists around the silky material of her dress. She had truly been hoping that Boyd would kill him, one way or the other, and release her from this fate. She didn't think of the consequence such an action would have on her people, she just cared about her freedom, about not being chained to this complete stranger's side for the rest of her life. Her mind raced as she thought for some way, anyway, to escape from this.

As she fumed, a noise to her side caught her attention. Glancing over, she saw her brothers standing next to her, having snuck over to her chair. One held her bow in his hands while another carried her belt-quiver.

"What are ya three doin'?" she whispered, raising an eyebrow at them.

"We saw ya were upset," the one in front of her said.

"And we know usin' yer bow makes ya feel better," the one holding the bow explained.

"How did ya find it?" she questioned, "Mom locked it away fer th' trip. Said she wudnae give it back until after th' ceremony."

"We know where everythin' is," the one holding the quiver stated matter-of-factly, shrugging his shoulders as he did.

"Why are ya givin' me these now?" she asked, confused.

"Like Ah said, we know usin' yer bow makes ya feel better," the brother in front said, a smirk on his face, "An' we think we know someone yad like tae shoot at."

A smirk mirroring her brother's crossed Merida's face as she reached out and took her bow and quiver before kissing each of her brothers on the head and darting off, no one seeing her leave due to being distracted by Stoick's speech.

"Now that the challenger has proven himself," Stoick called to the crowd as Hiccup stood in the middle of the arena, awkwardly scratching the back of his head and smiling while William, Boyd and Andra glared at him from the side, "It comes to the Princess Merida to accept his hand. What say you, Princess?"

Stoick turned to where Merida had been sitting, everyone's eyes following as well, only to find her seat completely empty. A mumble of confusion went through the crowd as Fergus and Elinor looked at each other in shock.

"Nae!" Merida's voice echoed across the arena from where she was standing on the lip of the top of the arena, her wimple having been discarded, allowing her wild red hair to flow around her like a fiery aura, her quiver strapped around her waist and her bow clenched in her hand, "Ah will nae marry him or anyone else 'at Ah'm told tae!"

As the crowd gasped in shock, Merida drew an arrow from her quiver and notched it in her bow before aiming it at Hiccup.

"This is what Ah think yer worthy of!" she shouted at Hiccup, her eyes full of fury.

"…Uh oh," Hiccup mumbled to himself, his eyes wide as Merida loosed the arrow, sending it flying at him. Hiccup dove to the side, the arrow just missing him, slicing his shirt as he flopped onto his stomach, kicking up a small cloud of dirt as he grunted in pain.

"Get up, lad!" Gobber bellowed, catching his attention as Merida aimed another arrow at him, "Move!"

Hiccup scrambled to his feet and practically crawled away in his hurry to move out of Merida's line of sight. She shot at him again, barely missing his foot as the arrow buried its head in the hard earth, causing Hiccup to trip over the shaft and go rolling onto his back.

"What the Hel is she doin'!?" Stoick demanded, turning to glare at Fergus.

"Does it look like Ah know!?" Fergus shouted back, a look of bewilderment of his face.

"Well, ya better figure it out or we are going to have a big problem," Stoick growled before turning back to the arena as Merida notched another arrow, "Somebody grab her!"

Merida glanced over her shoulder, seeing a Viking man approached her, hands raised to grab her. Merida quickly hopped away from him as he tried to grab her, unnotching her arrow and taking both it and her bow into one hand. Leaping forward, she slipped through one of the gaps in the dome cage, grabbing onto the bars with her free hand. Turning around, she swung herself over to the wall, grabbed onto it, before hopping off and landing on the arena floor, rolling to a stop. As she rolled to her feet, she renotched her arrow and pointed it at Hiccup, barely short of breath.

"Whoa," Hiccup whispered in surprise, forgetting for a moment that she was trying to kill him.

"Daenae just stand there, Hiccup," Gobber shouted, snapping him back to reality, "Get yer shield or she's goin' tae turn ya into a pin cushion!"

As Gobber said this, Merida shot at Hiccup again, who barely managed to juke out of the way, causing the arrow to strike the stone wall behind him.

"Merida, stop this!" Elinor bellowed from the viewing area, as Hiccup scrambled for his shield, "Daenae ya loose another arra!"

Her demands fell on deaf ears however as Merida notched another arrow, her eyes never leaving Hiccup, her face set in a look of fierce determination.

"How did she get her bow an' arras!?" Elinor demanded, turning to Fergus who looked at her in bewilderment, "Ah locked them up!"

As she said this, a thought occurred to her. She whirled around, looking at her triplet sons who were sitting nearby with looks of complete innocence on their identical faces.

"Boys," she said harshly, catching their attentions, "Did ya hae somethin' tae dae wi' this?"

"Um…" one of them said as the same nervous expressions crossed all their faces, "We may hae stumbled upon them an' decided tae return them tae Merida. We figured she lost them!"

"Boys!" she shouted, causing the triplets to flinch, "Why wud ya dae 'at!?"

"We daenae like him!" one of the boys declared, the same angry expression on all their faces, "We think this whole thing is stupid! Merida doesnae want tae marry him, why should she hae tae!?"

Elinor almost screeched in frustration, clenching her hands into fists and shaking them, before she stormed off.

"Where are ya goin'!?" Fergus asked, watching his wife leave.

"Ah'm puttin' an end tae this!" she shouted back, not bothering to turn around and look at him.

"This is all your fault!" the black haired Viking man shouted, walking up to Fergus and pointing a finger in his face, "I knew this whole treaty was a bad idea! This was all just a trick to get them into our village and kill us all!"

An angry look crossed Fergus' face, but before he could say anything, Duff Macintosh stepped in front of him and shoved the Viking man in the chest.

"Daenae ya go shovin' yer grubby fingers in ma king's face!" Duff shouted, poking the man in the chest.

"Don't touch me, you backstabbing Highlander!" the dark-haired Viking growled in anger as he slapped Duff's hand away from him.

"Ah'll put ma hands wherever Ah damn well please, ya paranoid savage!" Duff yelled, giving the black-haired Viking another shove.

"I told you not to touch me!" the Viking shouted before cocking his fist back and punching Duff hard in the face, sending the Highlander reeling.

"Hey!" Gerald McGuffin bellowed, running up and hitting the Viking man hard in the stomach, causing him to double over and allowing Gerald to grab him by the shoulders and toss him against the railing around the edge of the arena. As Gerald moved towards the Viking man again, the blonde Viking woman stepped in front of him and decked the lord hard in the face, sending him reeling as well.

"Ya best back off, lassie!" Cameron Dingwall declared as he stepped between the woman and Gerald, pointing his finger up at her, "Or Ah might reconsider ma stance about strikin' a woman!"

"Well, unfortunately for you, I have nothin' to reconsider, little man!" the woman declared before punching Cameron in the face as well before kicking him in the chest sending the smaller man rolling away.

"Stop fightin'!" Fergus declared as the others began to recover while other Highlanders and Vikings had begun fighting as well, "Show a little decorum!"

"Spitelout's right, isn't he?" Stoick asked, causing Fergus to turn around only to find the Viking chieftain glaring at him.

"What?" Fergus asked, incredulously.

"This was all a trick to get us to let our guards down!" Stoick shouted, leaning right up into Fergus' face.

"Are ya daft!?" Fergus asked, his anger boiling up, "Why wud we want tae come tae this gods-forsaken island tae kill an enemy we'ae already beat!?"

"Oh, is that what ya think!?" Stoick demanded, his hands clenching into fists.

"Aye, it is!" Fergus declared, his face turning red from anger, "Ah daenae even remember why Ah wanted an alliance with ya inbred bunch o' hooligans!"

"Inbred hooligans!?" Stoick bellowed, "Who are ya callin' inbred hooligans!?"

"Ya, ya great hairy hooligan!" Fergus shouted back, spittle flying from his mouth, "An' Ah'll be damned if Ah give ya ma only daughter!"

"Well then I guess this treaty's off, which means I can do this!" Stoick declared before punching Fergus hard across the face, sending the king reeling. Catching himself, Fergus glared at the chieftain before charging at him with a hateful cry, tackling into him, sending both men rolling across the ground as they began to beat on each other.

Meanwhile, down in the arena, a group of Vikings were desperately trying to open the portcullis blocking the path into the structure while William, Andra and Boyd were rushing up to Merida as she aimed yet another arrow at Hiccup while he scrambled for his shield.

"Merida stop!" William shouted as he approached her, arms held out to grab her. Merida quickly spun around and pointed her bow at him, causing the young lord to stop in his tracks and throw his hands into the air.

"Back off!" Merida shouted, waving her bow between all three of them, "All o' ya back off!"

The three young men quickly did as they were told, allowing Merida to turn her attention back to Hiccup, who managed to pick up his shield, and hold it between the two of them. Growling, Merida shot her arrow at him, hitting the shield dead center, the arrow going so far in the head burst out the other side, stopping only an inch from Hiccup's face, causing him to gulp nervously.

Screaming in anger and frustration, Merida ran at Hiccup, causing the young man's eyes to go wide as he tried to back pedal away from her, almost tripping over his own two feet. As Merida reached Hiccup, she grabbed onto his shield and yanked it to the side, pulling it out of the Viking's hands and sending it tumbling away. Before Hiccup could recover, Merida grabbed her bow with both hands and swung it, hitting the young man on the side of the head and sending him tumbling to the ground. As Hiccup groaned in pain, Merida stepped over him, notching another arrow and pointing it right between his eyes less than a foot away.

"Whoa!" Hiccup shouted, holding up his hands in attempt to get Merida to stop, "Hold on! How about we talk about this, okay!?"

"There's nothin' tae talk aboot!" she shouted, putting her foot on Hiccup's chest to make sure he didn't get up, "If Ah kill ya, then Ah'm free o' this marriage an' can determine ma own fate!"

Even as his body was frozen in fear, Hiccup's mind was still running a mile a minute, giving him a moment of clarity as a thought occurred to him.

"And then what?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What?" Merida asked, blinking in surprise, caught off guard by the comment.

"And then what will you do?" Hiccup clarified, the fear slowly leaving his eyes.

"Ah-Ah…" Merida mumbled as her mind raced, realizing she hadn't thought of a plan past this point. Would she try to fight her way out? Would she surrender? What would be the consequences for her actions? What were the consequences already? As Merida tried to puzzle this out, the portcullis opened and her mother stormed in, a group of Vikings right behind her.

"Merida stop!" Elinor shouted, snapping her daughter out of her thoughts. Looking over, she saw her mother and the Viking quickly approaching. She looked back at Hiccup and then at the arrow she had pointed at him. She quickly glanced back and forth between the two then she shouted in anger and frustration before shooting the arrow into the ground next to Hiccup's head. As Hiccup let out a sigh of relief, Merida whirled around and glared at Elinor whose face was only a few inches from her own. The two glared at each other for a few moments before Elinor reached out and grabbed Merida's arm hard.

"Are ya insane!" she shouted, pulling Merida away from Hiccup, "Dae ya know what ya'ae done!?"

Merida said nothing, instead choosing to glare at her own feet. This enraged Elinor further, causing her to reach down and grab Merida's chin, forcing her head up.

"Look!" she demanded forcing her daughter to look at the fighting going on around the arena, causing Merida to hiss in pain, "Look what ya an' yer thrice damned bow hae caused!"

Reaching down, she snatched the bow out of Merida's hand while the girl was distracted looking at the chaos happening around her before tossing it aside, sending it clattering across the ground.

"Now I have to fix this mess too," Elinor grumbled as she walked towards the center of the arena, taking a deep breathe to regain a modicum of her composure. Looking around, she took a moment to watch the fighting before straightening up to her full regal height, a look calm determination on her face.

"'AT'S ENOUGH!" she shouted, her voice ringing off the stone walls of the arena. The authority in her voice caused everyone to pause in their fighting, including Fergus and Stoick who had grabbed onto each other, their fists cocked to punch one another in the face. They looked at Elinor in surprise.

"Chief Stoick, Ah believe 'at there are some matters 'at ya need tae discuss with ma husband an' Ah," she stated, looking right into the Viking chieftains eyes, "Is there somewhere we can talk privately?"

"Er…yes," Stoick replied, awkwardly letting go of Fergus and lowering his fist, "The Great Hall should do."

"Excellent," Elinor said with a slight smile, "Ah will meet ya an' ma husband there shortly."

Stoick nodded slowly, not seeming to fully understand what had just happened, nor did anyone else as the Vikings and the Highlanders picked themselves up and brushed themselves off. As Stoick and Fergus made their way away from the crowd, Elinor turned to face Hiccup and Merida, the Viking teen having managed to pick himself up off the ground again.

"As fer ya two. Ya are comin' wi' me," she said in a tone that brokered no argument, causing the two teens to glance awkwardly at each other before looking away just as quickly.

A/N: Another week, another chapter. Wasn't sure about this one at the beginning but I really started to like how it flowed together as the chapter went. Hope you guys liked it as well. If you guys have any comments, questions or criticisms, be sure to review! Also, make sure you have your private message on or I can't reply to you! Thanks again!


	4. Negotiations

**Chapter 4: Negotiations**

The Great Hall stood near the center of the village, further inland than the arena, sitting on a rocky outcropping that allowed it to look over the entire village. It was longer than it was tall, giving it a squat look, with a curved roof but a square base. It was made out of dark brown wood while the foundation was made of grey stone.

Stoick lead the way as they approached the Great Hall's large wooden doors, their surface carved with depictions of great heroes and dragons, Hiccup at his side while Elinor, Fergus and Merida followed behind. Reaching the doors, Stoick flung both of them open before stepping inside, the others following him. Inside, the roof was supported by two rows of thick wooden columns while rows of wooden long tables were on both sides of the room.

"Now, can someone explain to me what in Thor's name just happened!?" Stoick demanded, whirling around to glare at Fergus and his family, "Because it looks to me like yer daughter just tried to murder my son!"

"Ah'm sure Merida has a perfectly logical explanation fer all o' this," Fergus asserted before turning to look at his daughter. In response, Merida's eyes slowly fell, unable to look Fergus directly in the eye.

"Or perhaps not," Fergus said, shaking his head in disappointment. He turned around to find Stoick glaring at him.

"Sounds like we still have a score to settle, ye and I," Stoick said threateningly, stepping towards Fergus.

"Oh, we dae, dae we?" Fergus replied angrily, his hands clenching into fists.

Before either of them could come to blows though, Elinor stepped between them, an angry look on her face. Reaching up, she grabbed both of their ears and gave them a sharp tug downwards, bringing both leaders' heads down to her eye level.

"Ah think we'ae had quite enough fightin', thank ye very much," she stated, giving each of them a pointed look before releasing them, allowing both men to stand upright and rub their ears in pain. Hiccup's mouth hung open and his eyes were wide after seeing such a small woman manhandle his father. He quickly composed himself as he noticed Merida looking at him.

Glancing at her, he noticed that dust and grit had accumulated on her dress, probably from when she had tumbled into the arena. He also noticed a few rips and tears in the material, no doubt made by all the physical activity that she had perform for which the dress was not made for.

What also drew his eye was her wild mass of red hair. His first thought upon seeing it was how it had all fit under that wimple. That thought eventually gave way to just how red and wild it was, like fire given solid form. He couldn't help but notice, even in the arena when she was trying to use him for target practice, how utterly it seemed to fit her. Thinking back to how demure and fragile she looked when he had first seen her, he couldn't help but feel a sense of incompleteness from it, that he hadn't been seeing the full picture. Now that he saw her like this, he could understand why. This new Merida, the real Merida, easily replaced the one he had seen before as the prettiest girl he had ever seen. Even as her icy blue eyes turned to him and glared.

"Whit are ye lookin' at?" she practically growled, causing him to flinch as he snapped back to reality.

"I…um…that is…I mean," Hiccup mumbled, tripping over his words as he tried to think of something to say before Merida sighed in disgust, turning away from him as she rolled her eyes before quickly walking over to the other side of the room and sitting at one of the long tables, pointed not looking at him. Hiccup sighed as he took a seat at the long table near him, looking over at his father talking with Fergus and Elinor.

"How do I know that this wasn't some plot to get yer people in here and kill us all!?" Stoick shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Fergus.

"Ye're th' ane who invited us here, remember!?" Fergus shouted back, looking at Stoick like he was insane.

"Yes, for the treaty that ye purposed!" Stoick retaliated, getting even more in Fergus' face.

"Well, we're nae attackin' ye now, are we?" Elinor interrupted, raising an eyebrow at Stoick.

"What's yer point?" Stoick asked.

"Ma point is if we're attackin' ye, we're doin' a pretty poor job o' it, seein' as Ah stopped the fightin' an' asked tae talk," Elinor pointed out.

Stoick was quieted by this, slowly lowering his hand and taking a step back.

"I suppose ye have a point there," Stoick relented.

"Ah suppose Ah dae," Elinor replied, a somewhat smug smirk on her face.

"Then that brings us back to what actually happened down there," Stoick stated, turning a stern eye towards Merida, "Why was yer daughter tryin' to kill my son?"

Merida looked away, not willing to meet Stoick's gaze.

"'At's somethin' Ah'ae been wonderin' maself," Fergus agreed, looking at his daughter as well, causing Merida to wilt under the combined gazes.

"Merida is prone tae th' occasional unlady-like outbursts," Elinor explained, catching Stoick's attention, "She saw th' fightin' an' probably jist felt th' urge tae join in."

"'At's nae true, an' ye know it!" Merida shouted, jumping to her feet and pointing her finger at her mother.

"'At's enough, Merida!" Elinor shouted back, trying to silence her daughter.

"Nae!" Merida yelled, bristling, before turning to Stoick, "Th' reason Ah went doon there is because Ah want nothin' tae dae wi' this alliance or this marriage. Ah'm bein' forced agin ma wull tae marry someone Ah daenae even know. From a people 'at ma people were at war wi' nae sae lang ago. Ah had nae say, nae opinion, an' nae options, sae Ah panicked. Ah saw whit Ah thought wus ma way oot an' Ah took it. Ah'm sorry, Ah know Ah shouldnae hae done it, an' Ah daenae want tae start another war but Ah also daenae want tae marry yer son!"

Merida paused and looked over at Hiccup. Their eyes met and a look of contempt passed over her fair features.

"Ah daenae want anythin' tae dae wi' him," she stated before turning back to face Stoick, not noticing Hiccup's face fall slightly.

"Ah'ae had jist aboot enough o' ye!" Elinor declared angrily as she marched up to her daughter.

"Good!" Merida declared, glaring up at her mother, "Because Ah've had jist aboot enough o' ye!"

"An' jist whit is 'at supposed tae mean!?" Elinor demanded.

"It means Ah'm sick o' havin' ye boss me around!" Merida shouted, "Ah'm sick o' havin' ye tell me whit tae dae, whit tae say an' whit tae think! Ah want tae decide fer masel who Ah marry an' what Ah want tae dae wi' ma life! An' Ah want ye tae stay out o' it!"

"Ye stupid selfish little girl!" Elinor roared, causing Merida to take a step back in surprise while Fergus' eyes widened in shock, "Dae ye understand 'at this whole world does nae revolve around ye! Sometimes ye hae tae dae somethin' ye daenae want tae dae because it helps ither people! It canae always be aboot ye all th' time! Ye hae responsibilities an' expectations an' people wha rely on ye!"

"Ah daenae want responsibilities or any o' 'at stuff!" Merida ranted, throwing her hands up into the air, "Ah daenae want tae keep th' peace wi' ma own misery! Ah daenae want tae be shuffled off tae a culture Ah daenae know tae spend th' rest o' ma life wi' a man Ah daenae even like! An' most o' all Ah daenae want tae end up like a stuffy, controllin' noblewoman wha never actually did anythin' wi' her life like ye!"

Before anyone knew what had happened a loud slap echoed through the Great Hall as Merida stood with her head to the side, an angry red mark forming on her cheek. Slowly, she turned to look at Elinor, an expression of shock sprawled across her face. Elinor loomed above Merida, her arm posed in the air from the backswing of the slap. She glared at Merida, but as she looked as her daughter's expression changed from one of shock to one of hurt, a look of horror crossed her own.

"Merida, Ah-" she began before Merida burst into tears, turned and ran away, shouldering open the doors to the Great Hall and disappearing into the village beyond.

"Merida, wait!" Fergus called, holding up his hand in a futile attempt to stop her but she was already gone. Fergus sighed as he lowered his arm while Elinor looked like she wanted to cry.

"Oh, whit hae Ah done?" she moaned, cradling her face in her hands as Fergus walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Looks like ye hit her," Stoick commented. Fergus whirled around and glared at the Viking chief, who merely shrugged in reply.

"Shouldn't someone, you know, go after her?" Hiccup suggested.

"She's a stranger on a small island," Stoick replied, "She won't get far, and she has nowhere to go anyway. There's nothin' to worry about."

As he said that, the loud, low blare of a horn sounded over the village. Both Hiccup and Stoick's eyes went wide as another blast sounded over the village.

"Whit wus 'at?" Fergus asked.

"Something to worry about," Hiccup commented before gulping nervously.

"Whit is it?" Elinor asked nervously, "Dragons?"

As she asked, another horn gave three short blasts. It sound higher pitched than the first horn, and judging by the reactions on Fergus, Stoick and Hiccup's faces, it did not belong to the Vikings.

"Nae," Fergus whispered, his face pale with fear, "Vendal."

"Oh nae," Elinor whispered with fear, "Merida!"

"Ah hae tae go find her!" Fergus shouted as he made for the door.

"I'll go too," Stoick stated, "I have to help my village."

"Ma men wull aid ye," Fergus said, turning to look at Stoick.

"Alright," Stoick said with a nod, "Thank ye."

"There are bigger things here then ye an' me," Fergus replied, his face hardening.

"I guess this means our treaty is still on," Stoick observed.

"Ah guess it does," Fergus answered, before the sound of the Vendal horn echoed over the village again, "We'll hae tae discuss 'at later though."

"Aye," Stoick replied before turning to look at Hiccup, "Stay here with the queen."

"But I can help!" Hiccup exclaimed, despite his clear fear.

"No!" Stoick stated as he made his way to the door, Fergus at his side, "You stay here. Someone has to protect the queen."

With that, Stoick and Fergus left, slamming the door behind them. Silence fell over the Great Hall, broken only by the sound of fighting in the distance. Slowly, Elinor and Hiccup turned to look at each other, the queen raising a questioning eyebrow as Hiccup gave her an awkward smile and a shrug.

_Meanwhile_,

Merida ran through the village, heedless of her lack of knowledge of her surroundings or the heavy fog that had rolled in since she had last been outside. Tears flowed from her eyes, whipping into the air as she ran. Her throat was hot and scratchy from the combination of crying and running and she began to hack and cough as she stumbled to a stop. Falling to her knees, she cupped her face in her hands and began to weep. It was only then that the sounds of the world around her began to filter through her misery. The sound of fighting a short distance away was what made her raise her head in confusion, but it was the blast of a Vendal horn that made her gasp in fear.

Looking around, but unable to see anything in the thick fog, she was forced to rely on her ears to tell her about her surroundings. What caught her attention was the sound of something approaching. Something big. Checking her surroundings again, she just barely made out the shape of a stack of barrels against a building. Rushing over to it, she dove behind the stack just as the sound made it clear that whatever was in the fog was coming in her direction.

Curling up behind the stack of barrels, Merida did her best to remain absolutely silent as the noise grew closer. As it did, she could make out three separate sounds. First there was the booming noise of something large walking on the dirt path. Accompanying it was the sound of smaller footsteps accompanying it. She could also hear that whatever the smaller things were, they were panting like wild animals.

As Merida continued to listen, she felt relief wash over her as the sounds began to move past her. Just when she thought she was safe, the sound suddenly stopped. It was replaced by what sounded like giant nostrils sniffing at the air, followed by a pleased growl.

"Hold up, boys," a deep, rumbling voice said, "We have a guest."

Merida felt a cold chill run down her spine at the thought. She thought desperately of what to do as she heard the sound approaching her again. She was armed with only the arrows in her quiver and if she made a run for it, whatever was stalking her would surely notice her.

"Come on out," the voice said as the sound stop right on the other side of the stack of barrels, "I know you're there."

Merida squeezed her eyes closed, hoping that if she remained still and silent, whatever was behind her would think it was mistaken and leave.

"Not coming out, huh?" the voice asked with a chuckle, "Fair enough. Now, how did that line go again? Oh, right."

Listening, Merida could hear whatever was behind her lean down and feel hot breath seep through the gaps between the barrels

Fi Fie Fo Fer, I smell the blood of a Highlander," the voice quoted as it gave a sniff for emphasis. Merida knew she should run, knew that whatever was behind her was going to try and kill her but she couldn't will herself to move, frozen in fear. What was worse was that she was certain she knew exactly who it was behind her.

"Be she alive or be she dead," the voice continued, the mention of her gender causing Merida to begin shaking uncontrollably, "I'll grind her bones to make my bread."

There was a pause where the only sound Merida could hear was her own heart hammering in her ears. Suddenly, the barrels seemed to explode behind her, causing Merida to scream in terror as a massive hand reached through the stack and snatched the back of her dress. It pulled her into the air, but the damage to her dress caused it to rip away and send her flying through the air and rolling across the dirt road, the rip along the back of her dress exposing her white underdress as she came to a stop on her stomach. As she pushed herself up, her eyes lifted to look at what, or who, had attacked her.

The first thing she noticed where the two men standing not too far away from her, glaring down at her. They had large and imposing physiques, over which they wore dirty and torn clothing that looked like it had been stitched together from rags and various animal hides. They both had scraggily dark brown hair, equally dark brown eyes and scraggily brown beards. They wore heavy fur cloaks made from black bear pelts, along with heavy linen wrappings around their arms and legs, their feet and hands otherwise remained uncovered, which were rough and dirty. Their exposed skin was painted black with war paint, and was further decorated with white painted symbols on their faces and arms. In their hands, they carried heavy clubs made out of bone and tipped with the claws of a bear.

What really drew her attention however was the massive man looming behind them. He easily stood twelve feet tall and was built like a mountain, with muscles upon muscles and a barrel chest. He had fair skin, and coarse black hair that covered most of the exposed flesh. He had pitch black beard that hung down to his chest, and was elaborately braided, with a dozen hollowed out human skulls threaded into his beard like beads. Most of his exposed skin was covered in scars and burns from countless battles. He wore the fur of a gigantic black bear draped over his shoulders and back, with the head hollowed out so that he could wear it like a hood, the snout sticking out past his face, its long teeth framing his features. One of his eyes was dark red in color, while the other was grey and glassed over, a long scar slicing through it. He wore tattered leather armor over a torn tunic and pair of pants that had seen better days. His feet were bare and calloused, topped with the same coarse, black hair. His hands were bigger than her head, dirty and calloused, while his nails had been apparently filed to points. A giant sword and axe hung from sheaths attached to his back.

"Well, well, well," the large man said, grinning at her, causing Merida to notice that his teeth had be filed to points as well, "What do we have here?"

The two smaller men moved towards Merida threateningly, but were stopped when the man held out on of his massive hands, signaling for them to stop.

"Now let's not be hasty, boys," the man chuckled, "We're in the presence of royalty after all."

Merida's eyes widen in surprise as she pushed herself up to her hands and knees.

"Surprised, cub?" the man asked, his grin growing larger, "I'd recognize the smell of your father anywhere. How is the Bear King these days? He handling that limp I gave him well?"

Merida said nothing as she pushed herself to her feet, eyeing the man wearily.

"You know who I am, don't you?" the man asked, his grin growing savage. Merida nodded in reply, unable to find her voice.

"Say my name, cub," the man stated, growing irritated at Merida's silence, "Say it!"

"Mor'du," Merida said, her voice only a little above a whisper.

The Demon Bear let out a loud laugh, his large grin showing off each of his pointed teeth.

A/N: As you may have guessed, things just took a turn for the worse, for our heroes. I hope you guys like my depiction of Mor'du, I wanted to make him a more interesting villain, so I hope I accomplished that! You'll be learning more about him in the future. Please review as feedback is always welcome!


	5. The Eaters of the Dead

**Chapter 5: The Eaters of the Dead**

"So, cub, what brings you to this gods forsaken rock of an island?" Mor'du asked, leaning down so he could look Merida right in the eye, despite the fact that his blood red eyes were almost twice as big as her own.

"Ah cud ask ye th' same question," Merida stated, trying to sound brave as she took a step away from Mor'du.

"Well, you're a feisty one when you feel like talking!" Mor'du declared with an uproarious laugh, causing the men with him to chuckle as well, "I can see a lot of your father in you now."

"Ye didnae answer ma question," Merida said, taking another step back as she slowly reached for an arrow in her quiver.

"Why else would a known raider and cutthroat go anywhere?" Mor'du questioned, "To pillage, rape and murder, of course."

Merida nervously slid an arrow out of her quiver and palmed it, holding the head between her middle and ring finger, hiding the shaft behind her arm.

"Now, that brings us back to what you're doing here," Mor'du stated, pointing one of his dirty and calloused fingers at her, his pointed nail aimed right between her eyes, "I can smell your kin all over this rock. So either I stepped into a war…."

Merida looked him right in the eye, her icy blue gaze not wavering from his fiery red.

"Or you're all here to make some kind of alliance," Mor'du continued, studying Merida closely. Merida's eyes wavered, glancing briefly at the ground before looking back at the Demon Bear, causing him to grin evilly.

"An alliance, huh?" Mor'du surmised, chuckling as he did, "And you know what goes good with an alliance, don't you boys?"

The Vendal men chuckled in reply.

"Sounds like someone's getting married off," Mor'du commented, causing Merida to stiffen, "I bet you're excited, having a honeymoon up here in the cold wastes while looking forward to pushing out some Viking brats."

Merida said nothing as she continued to inch away from the giant.

"That's what I thought," Mor'du said with another chuckle as he reached up and drew his sword from the sheath on his back. It was twice the size of any sword she had ever seen, the blade scratched and dinged over almost its entire length, which was twice her height and made out of a polished, black stone that she realized was obsidian. The pommel was wrapped in black leather and runes were etched along the entire length of the blade in red. Pulling the sword out, Mor'du lowered his arm to the side, allowing the front of the blade to land on the ground with a thud, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

"Why don't I send your father your head as a gift to congratulate him on his alliance?" Mor'du asked, his wicked grin showing each and every one of his pointed teeth, "I think he'll like that, don't you?"

Merida said nothing as her fear froze her in place, her heart hammering in her chest as she watched the giant lift his massive sword effortlessly into the air and point it at her.

"I thought you'd agree," Mor'du stated simply, before lifting the sword above his head and swung it at her. Merida's eyes went wide before she ducked beneath the blade as it swung by, the blast of air following in its wake flipping her hair onto her face as she rolled out of the way. Quickly pushing herself to her feet, Merida managed to scramble away as Mor'du lifted his sword up to swing at her again. Merida dodged out of the way as Mor'du slammed it down where she had been standing a moment before, breaking a chunk of the ground and sending a spider web of cracks across the surface while kicking up a small cloud of dust. The force of the blow forced Merida to stumble to her knees, sliding and ripping her dress even further.

"Stand still!" Mor'du barked as he pulled the sword out of the ground, dust and small rocks falling away from the tip, "This will only hurt for a second."

As the Demon Bear lifted his sword to swing again, Merida tried to get to her feet, but stumbled on the remains of her dress and stumbled again. She turned around and looked up with horror as Mor'du lifted his sword and prepared to thrust it into her. A second before he did, something slammed into the barbarian's shoulder, knocking him off balance and causing his thrust to go wide, slamming into the ground next to Merida with a loud thud and kicking up another cloud of dust.

Growling in irritation, Mor'du turned to look over his shoulder, finding a javelin sticking out of his back. Turning his eyes to follow the trajectory that the javelin would have flown in, Mor'du saw Andra standing a few yards away, still in the follow through of his throw with a pair of javelins clutched in his off hand. Boyd and William stood behind him, their weapons at the ready as well.

His eyes narrowing angrily, Mor'du reached up and grasped the javelin with his thumb and forefinger before yanking it out with a sharp tug, heedless of the blood slowly oozing from the wound. As the three boys watched in horror, Mor'du turned to face them, examining the javelin for a few moments as the Vendal men growled at the lordlings. Smirking, Mor'du turned his eyes towards the boys.

"I think you dropped this," Mor'du said to Andra, before flicking the javelin like a dart at the young man. Andra's eyes widened even further in surprise before he dove to the ground in order to avoid the attack while the two others dove to the sides. The javelin shot through the air at impossible speeds before slamming into the wall of a building, knocking a sizeable hole into the wooden structure. The boys glanced back at the damage in mute terror before turning their eyes back to Mor'du, who grinned wickedly at them.

"I'll deal with you lads after I've dealt with your princess here," Mor'du laughed before turning to face Merida, but instead found empty space where she had once been. Glancing up, his eyes narrowed in anger as he saw Merida making a hasty retreat, darting around a corner and out of view. Roaring angrily, Mor'du gave chase to the Highland princess, sparing only a moment to glance over his shoulder at his men.

"Kill them!" he ordered, before turning and lumbering around the corner that Merida had disappeared behind. Snarling, the two Vendal men turned and glared at the three lordlings before charging at them. Three young men quickly pulled themselves to their feet as they raised their weapons to face their enemy.

"Macintosh!" William yelled, brandishing his claymore high above his head.

"MacGuffin!" Andra shouted, tossing one of his javelin's into his free hand and holding them both at the ready.

"Dingwall!" Boyd added, banging his axe against his shield.

"Fer th' Highlands!" the three shouted in unison before charging forwards and meeting the snarling wildmen head on. As they reached the young men, one of the Vendals leapt into the air, raising his club to strike one of them. Boyd quickly jumped forward and brought his shield to bear, deflecting the man's attack while the Vendal's body slammed into the shield, knocking Boyd onto his back with the savage on top of him. As the Vendal tried to crawl over the shield to get at Boyd, the young Highlander pushed up on his shield, trying to keep his head away from the wildman's gnashing teeth and heavy club.

Seeing his friend struggle, Andra rushed over and kicked the Vendal in the side, the blow accompanied by the sound of cracking bone as the lordling's attack broke some of the savage's ribs. The force of the kick knocked the Vendal clear off of Boyd and sent the Wildman rolling a few feet before he came to a stop on his back, groaning in pain. Before the Vendal could back up, Andra ran over to the man, placed his foot against the savage's chest before driving his javelin through the barbarian's heart. The Vendal gasped in pain and shock, his mouth hung open in an expression of pain and shock as his blood oozed out of the wound. After a few moments, with Andra watching with wide, frightened eyes, the Vendal's eyes fluttered close and his body sagged, breathing no more. Andra gulped slightly, before bracing his foot and pulling his javelin free, the Vendal's blood dripping down the tip.

At the same time, William had met the other Vendal warrior head on. Blocking the man's wild swing with his claymore, he sifted his weight around before following up with a shoulder to the Vendal's chest, knocking the savage back. As the Vendal recovered, William rushed the man, his sword raised. As William swung at the Vendal, the savage tried to parry with his club. As the blade met the other weapon, it sliced through the wooden shaft, causing the head of the weapon to fall to the ground and rolled away. As the man pulled away, William used his momentum to spin around before driving his weapon into the Vendal's stomach. The savage wheezed in pain as blood splattered against William and his sword. After a few moments of struggling, the Vendal went limp, forcing William to place his foot against the man's chest before pushing him off, causing the wildman's body to fall to the ground.

William breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath, watching as the blood dripped off the tip. Looking up, he saw Andra helping Boyd to his feet before he looked up, his eyes meeting with William's.

"First blood, Andra?" William asked.

Andra nodded as Boyd brushed himself off.

"Mine too," William said, sparing a glance down at his sword, blood still dripping off of his sword, "but there's nae time tae think about 'at now. Merida needs our help."

Boyd and Andra both nodded, looks of determination on their faces.

"Well, we're wastin' time then, come on!" he ordered before turning and running in the direction Merida and Mor'du had gone in. Boyd ran right after him, while Andra spared a moment to look at the man he had slain before following his friends.

_Meanwhile_,

"You can't run forever, cub!" Mor'du shouted as he pursued Merida around another bend, swing his sword at her as he did, missing her and lopping off a corner of the roof instead, sending tile and thatch flying around Merida, catching in her hair as she ran through it. Turning, she managed to dart around another corner just as Mor'du reached out and tried to grab her, missing her by inches.

As Mor'du roared in frustration behind her, Merida ran down the road in front of her, forced to jump over the body of a Viking woman lying dead in the street. As she ran past a house, she jumped to the side as a Viking man was tackled through the wooden door by a Vendal. Screaming in surprise, Merida did her best not to look back as she heard the man's cries of pain be swallowed by the Vendal's howls of fury and the sound of teeth digging into flesh.

Seeing Merida near the end of the road, Mor'du reached up and unslung his double-headed waraxe. It was a massive thing, comparable in size to his claymore and made of the same hardened obsidian with angry red runes written down the length of each of its curved edges. The shaft seemed to be made of bleached white bone belonging to some sort of massive creature, the grip wrapped in dirty, bloodstained linens.

Heaving the weapon above his head, he flung it down the street with a single arm, sending the axe flying end over end towards Merida. Hearing the massive weapon fly through the air towards her, Merida turned to see the axe hurtling towards her, her eyes widening in shock. Letting out a panicked scream, Merida dropped to the ground, causing the axe to go just miss her, the edge of one of the axe heads grazing her hair as it passed by. Sailing past the princess, the axe slammed into the side of a building behind Merida, utterly demolishing the wall and coming to rest within the confines of the structure, the walls and ceiling collapsing around it. Panting heavily, Merida looked with wide eyes at the destruction behind her, before turning back to look at Mor'du, who had recovered from the throw and was charging down the street towards her with murder in his blood red eyes.

Merida quickly pushed herself to her feet and made a mad dash around another corner and down a new street. As she did, a Vendal man came leaping out from an alley to her right, snarling and roaring like a wild animal as he raised his club above his head to strike her. Reacting on instinct, Merida lashed out with the arrow she still had clutched in her hand, striking the savage, driving the head of the arrow into the man's throat. Letting out a surprised, gurgling cough, the man stumbled as the pain overtook his motor skills and his momentum carried him to the ground. Merida didn't give him a second glance as she raced off down the street, leaving the dying man behind her while Mor'du came roaring around the bend after her, grabbing his axe and yanking it free of the collapsed structure as he went.

Desperately trying to find somewhere, anywhere she could go, Merida spotted what looked like a smithy at the end of the street. Specifically, she saw a whole bundle of bows laying with other assorted weapons near the entrance to the smithy. Smiling with elation, she rushed over to the building as she felt Mor'du lumbering down the street after her, the Demon Bear's footsteps shaking the very earth beneath her.

Grabbing a bow that was sized for a person taller than her, Merida nonetheless spun around and slid to one knee, reaching for her quiver and knotching an arrow as she did. Her icy blue eyes narrowing, Merida pulled the bowstring back as far as she could, aiming at the giant charging down the street at her. Letting out the breath she hadn't even known she had taken, Merida released the arrow, sending it whistling through the air, right on its mark.

At least it would have been if Mor'du hadn't lashed out with reflexes that belayed his size, knocking the arrow clean out of the air with his sword and not even breaking stride as he charged her. Merida's eyes went wide with horror as she fell onto her back in a desperate scramble to try and get away. But Mor'du was already upon her, his sword raised in the air and a cry of fury and triumph on his tongue.

"MERIDA!" she heard a familiar voice shout as Mor'du brought his weapon down, only for the obsidian blade to be stopped by a smaller steel one a mere foot from Merida's head. Frozen in fear, Merida managed to dart her eyes to the side to see her father standing beside her, hands clasped firmly around the hilt of his claymore as he struggled to keep the Demon Bear's weapon away from her, sweat forming on his brow.

"Merida, move!" he shouted as he pushed on Mor'du's sword with a mighty cry, forcing the blade to the side and causing the Demon Bear to stumble before catching himself on the smithy. As Mor'du turned and snarled at her father, Merida managed to push herself to her feet and dash away, dropping her newly acquired bow as she ran.

"Merida, over here!" another familiar voice shouted drawing her attention to the three lords who were taking cover behind a building, her three brothers with them. Merida quickly changed her course and dashed over to where they were, leaping into the outstretched arms of Gerald MacGuffin, who grabbed her and spun her around behind the building, placing her with her brothers so that they were surround on all sides by either the lords or the wall.

"Merida!" Hammish shouted as the triplets quickly swarmed over her as she fell to her knees, panting from fear and exhaustion, "Are ye okay!?"

"Where's Ma!?" Hubert questioned. Before she could answer, their came a mighty roar accompanied by a cry of pain. Looking up and around the building, Merida saw her father go rolling across the ground, Mor'du snarling as he stomped after the Bear King.

"Sun above," Duff Macintosh whispered, "He's even bigger then Ah remember."

"We cannae leave th' king tae fight 'at monster alone!" Cameron Dingwall shouted, his pale face turning red with anger.

"We cannae leave th' king's children unguarded either!" Gerald yelled back, his thick eyebrows knitting together.

"Then whit dae we dae?" Duff asked, a hint of fear in his voice.

Merida didn't seem to hear the conversation happening around her, her eyes glued on her father as he managed to pick himself up and turn to face Mor'du, his sword at the ready.

"It's been a long time, Fergus!" Mor'du taunted as he and the Bear King began to circle one another, "You look well! How's the leg treating you? I was just catching up with that pretty little daughter of yours. They grow up so fast!"

"Daenae ye talk abit ma daughter, ya damned beast!" Fergus roared as he charged Mor'du, swinging his sword at the massive man. Mor'du merely laughed as he parried the attack with ease before swinging his axe at Fergus' head. Fergus managed to duck the attack, but was caught off guard when Mor'du spun the axe slightly in his hand before catching Fergus with a backswing, hitting the Bear King with the side of the axehead and sending him sprawling.

"Da!" Merida cried in horror as she saw her father go tumbling across the ground, grunting in pain as he rolled to a stop.

"Come on now, Fergus," Mor'du said, raising his hands helplessly as Fergus pushed himself to his feet with a grunt, "We both know how this is going to end. You couldn't beat me before, and you're not going to now."

Fergus ignored him, raising his sword and pointing it at Mor'du.

"Here, I'll make it easy for you," Mor'du stated, flashing a savage grin at Fergus, "I'll cut your head off this time. It will be nice and quick, and that way you don't have to think about how you couldn't stop me from massacring your entire family!"

This was enough for Fergus, who let out a loud battle cry as he charged at Mor'du, the Demon Bear giving him a toothy grin in return. As Fergus reached him, he thrust his blade at Mor'du, who spun around it before slamming the butt of his sword's hilt against the back of Fergus' head, sending the man stumbling forward. As Fergus tried to catch himself, Mor'du spun around and kicked the Bear King in the back, sending Fergus falling to the ground.

"So much for the Bear King," Mor'du laughed as he lifted his axe above his head and stepped over Fergus while Merida watched on in horror. Just as Mor'du was about to bring the axe down, Stoick came rushing from around a corner before slamming his shoulder into Mor'du's back, sending the Demon Bear stumbling away.

"You know, I'm getting really tired of these last moment rescues!" Mor'du roared angrily as he turned to face Stoick as Fergus picked himself up again.

"That's too bad," Stoick replied as he pulled the double-bladed waraxe he had strapped to his back off and took it into his meaty hands, "Because I'm getting sick of ye bein' in my village!"

"Fine then," Mor'du growled as the two men moved to flank him, "I'll be more than happy to gut you both!"

With that, Mor'du let out a roar as he began swinging at both men with his axe and claymore. Fergus and Stoick fought valiantly against the Demon Bear, but even with their superior numbers, Merida could see that Mor'du outclassed them in every way. He seemed to know exactly where Stoick and Fergus were at any given moment, blocking and parrying their attacks without any effort at all while his blows hammered the leaders like sledgehammers, knocking them back or off balance with every swing. Roaring savagely, Mor'du swung his axe in a wide arc, hitting both Fergus and Stoick as they tried to block and knocking them down.

"I think it's about time we…end…this…" Mor'du began, facing the two downed leaders with his weapons at the ready, but trailed off distractedly. He took a few experimental sniffs of the air before catching waft of something, taking a big sniff as his eyes went wide in surprise. Glancing around the surrounding village as if he was looking for something, a grin slowly began to spread across his features as he started chuckling to himself.

"Found you," Mor'du said to himself between his laughs.

"What's he doing?" Stoick asked as he pushed himself to his feet along with Fergus.

"Ah hae nae idea," Fergus admitted as Mor'du began laughing uproariously at a joke only he seemed to understand.

"Somethin' funny!?" Stoick demanded.

"Yes," Mor'du admitted as he calmed down, "But I'm afraid you wouldn't get it. Anyway, this has been fun, but I really must be going. Speaking of which, Fergus, if you and all of your men are here, who's watching your homes back in the Highlands?"

Fergus' eyes widened in realization and fear.

"Must be quite the skeleton crew," Mor'du commented as he sheathed his sword and slung his axe back over his shoulder while pulling a horn from around his neck, "You know, it's been so long since I've been there. I think it's time for another visit."

Before Fergus or Stoick could say anything, Mor'du brought the horn up to his mouth and gave three short blasts. Roars and howls of affirmation came from within the village as the mist seemed to thicken around them. Chuckling, Mor'du took a step back into the mist, seeming to melt into it.

"We'll have to save this for another time, Fergus," Mor'du mocked from the mists, "Tell that little cub of yours I hope I see her again soon!"

"Get back here, ye monster!" Fergus bellowed as he charged into the mist and began swinging his sword in every direction as Mor'du mocking laughter surrounded him on all sides. Then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the mist dissipated, leaving Fergus swinging at nothing but open air.

"What happened?" Stoick asked, "Where did he go?"

"Ah daenae know," Fegus growled, before he regarded Stoick with narrowed eyes, "But Ah know where he's goin'."

_A few minutes earlier,_

Up in the Great Hall, Elinor and Hiccup had managed to push one of the long tables up against the doors to block them. They both sighed as they sat down on one of the benches, Hiccup resting his back against the table behind it and rolling his head back while rubbing the back of his neck. As he did, Elinor glanced over at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Ah hae tae be honest wi' ye…Hiccup was it?" Elinor asked, earning a nod from the Viking teen, "Ye're nae whit Ah was expectin' when Ah heard Stoick th' Vast had a son."

"You're not the first," Hiccup replied with a chuckle, "And I doubt you'll be the last…um, Your Highness."

"Ah take it ye get 'at sentiment often?" Elinor questioned.

"Basically every day of my life," Hiccup admitted, before a confused look crossed his face and he shot a questioning look at Elinor, "Why do you care, if you don't mind me asking? It's not like what people around here think of me affects you."

"If it affects ma daughter, then it affects me," Elinor replied simply.

"Well, if you don't mind me saying…Your Highness…it doesn't seem like you and your daughter really…get along," Hiccup observed nervously, not looking Elinor in the eye.

"Ye noticed 'at, did ye?" Elinor sighed with a little bit of dry humor in her voice.

"It was kind of hard to miss," Hiccup replied with a shrug, playing with his hands nervously, "Especially after you…well…you know."

Elinor let out a longer sigh as she rested her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands.

"Ah cannae believe Ah did 'at," she mumbled into her hands.

"I take it that stuff like that doesn't happen often?" Hiccup questioned.

"Never," Elinor replied, looking up from her hands at Hiccup, "She jist made me so…so angry."

As she thought about the incident that had happened a short while ago, Elinor balled her hands in the fabric of her dress and her brown eyes narrowed.

"It's like she refused tae see any other point o' view except her own!" the queen fumed, "She's jist so…so…"

"Stubborn?" Hiccup provided, arching one of his eyebrows.

"Aye," Elinor agreed, sighing, "She's very stubborn. Very opinionated. Very much…"

"Like you?" Hiccup interjected, sucking in his breath as Elinor shot him an annoyed glance at him, "I mean…that's just what I saw, but I could totally be wrong, I mean I just met you all today so I could be completely off base and…"

Elinor held up her hand, stopping Hiccup's desperate attempt to retract his statement.

"'At's enough Hiccup, it's quite alright," Elinor said, lowering her hand as the young man clamped his mouth shut, "Ah shouldnae get mad at ye fer speakin' th' truth. Merida an' Ah are very similar in some ways, which is why we can butt heads sae fiercely."

Elinor's brown eyes turned sad as she looked down at the stone floor.

"Though never 'at fiercely before," Elinor added sadly.

"I'm sure she'll get over it," Hiccup reassured.

"Nae, she's too stubborn fer 'at," Elinor stated before a hint of fear entered her voice, as she nervously ran her hand through her hair "'At's if she hasnae already been torn apart by Vendals."

"I don't think so," Hiccup replied, trying to sound more confident than he really was, "I mean my dad and the others have fought these guys off a bunch of times, and with your husband and all those other burly Highlanders around those bear wannabes don't stand a chance."

Elinor smiled as the young man pumped his fist enthusiastically, appreciating his attempt to encourage her, even though he could see his own worries in his pale green eyes.

"Ye truly are unlike any Viking Ah have ever encountered or heard o', Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third," Elinor commented with a chuckle, "Dae ye mind if Ah ask ye a question?"

"Go ahead," Hiccup said.

"Whit dae ye feel abit all o' this?" she questioned.

"What? The Vendal attack?" Hiccup asked, confused.

"Nae, th' marriage," Elinor clarified.

"Oh," Hiccup replied, scratching the back of his head nervously, "I'm not really sure what to think about it, honestly."

"Why's 'at?" Elinor pressed.

"Well, I guess I've been conflicted about it," Hiccup admitted, surprised at how easy he was finding it to open up to a relative stranger, "I mean sure, part of me doesn't want to get married against my will, who would really want that?"

"True enough," Elinor replied with a nod, which caused Hiccup to blink in confusion.

"Wait, I thought you were all for this arranged marriage kind of deal," Hiccup commented, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Ah am, 'at doesnae mean Ah daenae understand how tough it can be fer ye," Elinor explained, "After all, Fergus an' Ah's marriage was arranged, an' Ah can tell ye, Ah was shakin' like a leaf all th' way up tae th' alter."

The queen laughed softly at the memory as Hiccup chuckled appreciatively at her honesty.

"Ah turned out fine though, an' Ah ended up wi' a man Ah love more dearly than any ither in th' entire world," Elinor continued, "Ah know Ah'm lucky in 'at regard. Th' more important thing was 'at Ah knew it was my duty tae marry Fergus, fer th' betterment o' our people."

"I kind of feel the same way I guess," Hiccup stated with a shrug, "Sure I'm annoyed that this all happened without any sort of input from me, but it was still an opportunity to help my village. At least, help it without messing everything up."

"Whit dae ye mean?" Elinor questioned, eyeing Hiccup with a confused look as the young man's shoulders slumped and his eyes looked down at the floor.

"You know how my dad is called Stoick the Vast?" Hiccup asked, earning a nod from Elinor, "Well they have a name like that for me too. They call me Hiccup the Useless."

Elinor's eyes widened in surprise as a morose look passed over Hiccup's features.

"Ever since I was a kid, I've been nothing but a screw-up," Hiccup sighed, "I'm not built like the other people in the village. I'm not big, or strong, or anything like a Viking should be. I'm weak and clumsy and I pretty much can't do anything right. So, when this came along, this opportunity to help the village where all I was required to do was exist, well, you can say I didn't really feel like arguing about it much."

Elinor nodded numbly, her heart to her chest as she observed Hiccup with pity and sympathy.

"Ah truly doubt ye are useless, Hiccup," Elinor commented.

"I'm useless in every way that matters for a Viking," Hiccup replied, "I can't fight, I can't sail, I can't hunt dragons. Sure, I'm an alright blacksmith, no one's ever complained about anything I've made. At least anything they've told me to make."

He turned to look at Elinor and gave her a half-hearted smirk.

"So I'll take what I can get," Hiccup stated as he turned to look at the floor again, "At the same time, I didn't expect to be quite so lucky."

"Lucky?" Elinor questioned, raising an eyebrow at Hiccup, "Whit dae ya mean lucky?"

Hiccup's eyes went wide at the question as he felt his face begin to heat up.

"Um…well…you see…it's just that…M-Merida…your daughter," Hiccup mumbled, moving his hands about in an effort to force the appropriate words out of his mouth.

"Aye," Elinor urged him on, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

"Well…she's kind of…you see…that is…" Hiccup stumbled over his words as he felt his throat went dry.

"Daenae hurt yerself, lad," the queen cautioned with a chuckle. At her words, Hiccup took a deep breath to calm his nerves before turning to look back at Elinor, his shoulders straight and his hands clenched into fists.

"Merida…is probably the prettiest girl I've ever seen," he said quickly, scared that if he didn't get it all out at once he wouldn't be able to get it out at all. Elinor's smile grew as she heard the words.

"At's wonderful, Hiccup," she assured him, causing the Viking teen to relax, "Ah'm glad ye think sae."

"And don't get me wrong, I'm not just into her looks or anything," Hiccup quickly added, "I know I only really met her today, but I get the feeling that behind all that anger and well…murderous intent…there's someone I could really like."

"'At's good," Elinor encouraged him, "Ah'm sure 'at Merida feels th' same way."

"After today, I'm not sure I agree with you, Your Highness," Hiccup sighed as he looked back to the floor. Elinor sighed as well, looking at Hiccup sympathetically.

"Ah know Merida said…an' did some hurtful things today, but she was upset an' frightened. Ah'm sure if ye give her time tae calm down, an' try again, she'll see whit a good lad ye are," Elinor assured him.

"You think so?" Hiccup asked, a hopefully tone in his voice as he glanced up at Elinor.

"Aye, Ah do," Elinor replied, giving Hiccup an honest smile as she reached out and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. As she did, there came a loud horn blast from outside.

"Whit was 'at?" Elinor asked nervously.

"That was the all clear," Hiccup explained, "Guess everything is okay now."

As he said that, the door into the Great Hall banged against the table they had pushed in front of it, as someone tried to get in. There was pause before someone pushed hard on the door, pushing the table back and allowing them entrance. A moment later, Fergus stepped inside, Stoick right behind him, with Merida, the triplets, the three lords and their sons trailing after.

"Ma!" one of the triplets shouted before they clambered over the table and threw themselves into her waiting arms.

"Oh boys, Ah'm sae glad ye're alright!" she exclaimed happily, hugging them close, before looking up to see Merida standing next to her father, "Merida! Are ye okay?"

Merida didn't reply to the question, shooting her mother a disdainful glare before turning away from her and taking a step behind Fergus. Elinor cast her eyes downward as a pang of guilt struck her heart while Hiccup winced sympathetically.

"Whit happened out there?" Elinor asked Fergus as he rounded the table.

"Vendal's attacked," Fergus explained, "Mor'du was among them. He tried tae kill Merida."

"Whit!?" Elinor exclaimed, standing to her feet and looking her husband in the eye, "Is she alright!?"

"She fine, a little roughed up an' spooked is all," Fergus explained, "There's blood on her, but it's nae her own."

"Ye think she…" Elinor began to ask, looking over at her daughter who had sat at one of the long tables, the three lordlings sitting with her and talking quietly with the princess.

"Ah dae," Fergus replied with a nod, "It was probably her or him but it's never easy, especially th' first time"

"Ah wud hope nae," Elinor replied nervously.

"But 'at's nae what's pressin' right now," Fergus stated, taking his wife's shoulders in his hands, "Mor'du knows 'at th' Highlands are partially undefended. Ah fear he's gone there tae attack."

"Then we hae tae get back as soon as possible!" Elinor exclaimed, her eyes wide with fear, "Whit are we waitin' fer!?"

"Well, there are some complications," Fergus said with a sigh.

"Complications?" Elinor asked, confused, "Whit complications?"

"Well, Merida an'…" Fergus trailed off, looking over at Hiccup, his face scrunched in thought.

"Hiccup," Elinor provided.

"Right," Fergus stated, surprised by his wife's response, "Merida an' Hiccup were supposed tae be wed before we left."

"We daenae hae time fer 'at!" Elinor exclaimed.

"Ah know, we hae tae leave, an' we daenae know when we'll be back…sae…" Fergus trailed off, having trouble finding the words he needed.

"Sae?" Elinor asked, urging him to finish.

"So yer daughter," Stoick spoke up, catching Elinor's eye as Merida looked up at the mention of herself, "is staying with us."

Elinor's eyes widened in surprise as her gaze drifted to where Merida was. As she saw her daughter, Elinor couldn't help but feel that if looks could kill, she would be dead where she stood.

A/N: So this one was a blast to write and as a result kind of got away from me. Still I'm sure you guys will like having the longest chapter yet. Please tell me what you think, and if you guys are still liking my depiction of Mor'du. Feedback and criticism is always welcome so please review! Later!


	6. Dreaming of Home

**Chapter 6: Dreaming of Home**

The hustle and bustle down by the docks matched that of only a few hours earlier, though instead of unloading their longships, the Highlanders were quickly loading everything back onto the boats in their hasty preparation to return home. In fact, out of everything, there was only one thing actually being taken off any of the ships.

Merida watched from the shore, her arms crossed and her icy blue eyes fixed as she observed three men try to take a large horse off of the longship. The horse stood a head taller than any of the men, its frame rippling with tense muscle. It had a black coat except for the white around its nose along with a thick black mane and rings of white hair around his hooves.

The horse snorted and reared against the men's grasped, fighting to escape them. Seeing this, Merida narrowed her eyes as she walked briskly towards the men, the forest green dress she was wearing swishing around her feet. Marching up to the men, she unceremoniously shoved one them out of the way and snatched the reins from him.

"It's like ye blunderin' idiots hae ne'er handled a Clydesdale afore!" she shouted at the men as she shot them each angry glares, "He's nae jist some plowhorse ye can drag aroun!"

The men mumbled their apologies as they backed away from the horse, causing it to calm considerably. She soothed it further by shushing it as she stroked the horses head gently, looking right into the creature's large, brown eyes. The horse snorted and nuzzled Merida's face, causing a small smile to spread across her features.

"Come on, Angus," she said, leading the horse off the dock, his heavy hooves knocking against the wooden planks, which creaked under his weight. Merida led the horse up the hill into the village, passing by the Viking villagers, who either shot her ugly looks or gawked in surprise at the size of her horse. Others didn't look at her at all, too busy repairing the damage from the raid, tending to the wounded…or collecting the dead.

Merida looked away as two Viking men walked by, carrying the body of a third on a makeshift liter. Merida only dared steal a quick glanced at the deceased Viking, but what she saw made her shudder as she noticed what looked like bite and claw marks covering the man. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, trying to banish the image from her mind as she continued up the hill.

As they approached one of the highest points of the village, not far from the Great Hall, a building came into view over the rise. It was a two story house much like the others in the village, though noticeably bigger. It was made up of large wooden logs, with a triangular, thatched roof. The foundation was square and made of hewn stone. A few windows dotted the walls, some round in shape, others square, each fitted with dirty glass.

Turning away from the building, Merida led Angus around the home to a small clearing on the other side of the house, separating it from the edge of the forest that dominated the rest of the island. In the clearing, a structure had been set up. It was a small, squat, wooden building with a slanted, thatch roof. The side facing her was completely open, the inside separated only by a latched, wooden gate. Jutting out to the side of the building was a shed with a single, wooden door.

Walking up to the door, Merida opened it, and beckoned Angus inside. The horse obediently entered, his heavy hooves thudding against the straw covered floor. Entering the building, Angus turned around and stuck his head out over the gate, making Merida happy that the horse had enough room to move around in his one pen stable.

"Welcome tae yer new home, Angus," Merida said as she reached up and removed the reins from Angus, the horse bowing his head down to make it easier for her, "They built it special, jist fer ye."

Angus seemed unconvinced by the sincerity in her voice and nudged her with his nose, causing Merida to smile and stroke it.

"Ah know," she said, "It's nae whit Ah want either."

Merida's eyes darkened as the smile fell away from her face.

"Seems like neither o' us hae much say in oor fates," she sighed. Seeing her downcast face, Angus snorted and nudged her face with his nose again, bringing her attention back to him.

"Sorry," she apologized, "Ah'm jist feelin' a wee…worn oot."

Merida flashed back to what couldn't have been more than an hour before, when she was screaming so loud she swore she could see the walls of the Great Hall reverberate from the force of her voice. Her mother had been strangely impassive during her tirade, keeping her eyes focused on her daughter but her lips remained shut, her only sign of distress being the way that she never let go of Fergus' arm, squeezing it every time Merida threw a verbal barb the queen's way. Merida, however, ignored any sign of her mother's plight as hot tears poured from her burning eyes. Her tongue seemed to take on a mind of its own as it transformed her rage into audible form, spewing venom at any and all within the room but focusing on her mother in particular.

By the end of her outburst, everyone present knew that she hated her mother. That Merida wished she had never been born. That Merida felt that no one in the world had been cursed with a worse mother than her. Elinor seemed to wilt under the personal assault, any fire she had long having left her. By the end, it appeared as though the regal queen was on the verge of bursting into tears herself as the triplets clung to her dress, watching the events with wide, fearful eyes.

Fergus, for his part, had repeatedly tried to intervene, to calm his daughter and put an end to her verbal assault, as had the lords and even her friends. All pleas fell upon deaf ears, unable to reach her through the roaring fires of her fury and indignation. All requests for thought and reason were met with accusations of betrayal and declarations of rage, quickly cowing them all into silence.

Stoick remained impassive through the entire scene, all insults thrown his way, allegations of tyranny and barbarism met with a look of unconcern and disinterest. Any barrage of loathing towards him proved as ineffective as slinging pebbles at a watchtower.

Hiccup, for the most part, escaped her rant, hanging back by the tables, stealing occasional worried glances at Elinor. By the time Merida had finally remembered he was there, her fiery anger was little more than crackling embers. She glared at him for a few moments, her frost blue eyes scanning him with contempt. Not only was he a Viking, he was the poorest excuse for a Viking she had ever seen. His lanky, tiny figure combined with his performance in the arena had convinced her that she could easily take him in any sort of fight, be it with swords, axes or her own fists. He seemed to her to be utterly cowardly, hiding there in the Great Hall with her mother while his people bled and died outside. Nothing about him struck her as at all attractive, be it his looks, his personality or his skills. She had no doubt that if she were not being forced to marry him, no woman would want anything to do with him. Dozens of biting insults she could hurl his way went through her head, but ultimately she settled to merely spit on the ground in his general direction before shooting him a scowl so cold he took a step away from her in surprise.

For a long moment, the room was silent, no one daring to say anything as Merida fought to catch her breath. Then, without a word, Merida turned on her heel and stomped towards the door.

"Merida!" her father called after her, managing to find his voice again, "Where are you going!?"

"Out," she spat back, before slamming the large wooden door behind her for a second time that horrible day. The princess wandered aimlessly around the village for a while, numb from the intense emotions that had coursed through her such a short amount of time. Eventually, she found her way back to the docks and found a trunk of her things that had been unloaded from the ships. Opening it, she pulled out one of her older dresses and put it on after tearing off the remains of the new blue one, covering her dirty white underdress. After that, she had noticed the men unloading Angus, which ultimately led her to where she was at that moment.

As Merida stroked the horse a few more times, the sound of her name floated up from the village. She sighed tiredly, not wanting to speak to anyone, but knowing one way or another she would have to.

"Ah'll talk tae ye later, Angus," she said before giving the horse a kiss on his large nose, "We'll gae riddin' real soon."

The horse snorted in reply as Merida turned and walked over to the shed. Opening it, she found it currently unequipped but that it was fixed with hooks from which she hung the reins. Closing the door behind her, Merida began to trudge down the hill towards the center of the village. After a few moments, one of her father's men came upon her, and after calling her name, wordlessly began to lead her back to the docks.

Arriving there, she found the four longships in the final stages of their preparation to cast off. Her family, along with the lords and their sons, stood on the docks, watching her approach. As she stopped in front of them, Fergus dismissed her escort before turning his eyes to his daughter.

"Ah see ye found Angus," Fergus commented hesitantly.

"Aye," Merida replied impassively, not meeting her father's gaze.

"We hae tae be shippin' aff now," her father continued awkwardly, scratching his chin, "We hae tae get back home as soon as possible."

"Ah suppose ye dae," Merida agreed, nodding her head slightly.

"It will be a while afore we can come back," Fergus told her, "Ah daenae know how long it will take tae ensure Mor'du isnae threatenin' th' Highlands anymore, an' then there are th' storms 'at come in th' summer an' th' frost nae long after 'at. All o' 'at put together means…"

"Ah probably wonae see any o' ye until next year," Merida finished for him, her eyes widening in understanding as she met his gaze.

"Ah'm sorry, Merida," her father apologized, "Ah wish there was somethin' I cud dae."

Merida shrugged, turning her eyes away from him again.

"We dae hae somethin' 'at might help though," he said, looking over at some crates the men were bringing on shore. Glancing at them, Merida noticed holes poked into the crates and the sound of cooing and slapping wings emanating from within.

"Birds?" she asked in confusion, meeting his eyes again.

"Pigeons," her father corrected, "Messenger pigeons. Th' best we cud get. They know th' way between here and home like ye know th' back o' yer hand."

Leaning down, Fergus gave his daughter a conspiratorial grin.

"An' there's one 'at knows its way down south, sae 'at ye can write tae 'at friend o' yours," he said in a low voice that caused her to smile.

"Thanks Da," she said, throwing her arms around his neck, causing him to laugh and pick her up, wrapping his powerful arms around her and squeezing her close.

"Ah'm goin' tae miss ye, Da," she whispered to him.

"Nae as much as Ah'm going tae miss ye," he replied, giving her another squeezing before setting her back down. As he did, William, Andra and Boyd made their way over to her side.

"See ye around, Yer Highness," William said chidingly, ruffling her hair with his hand before pulling her into a hug.

"See ye around, Yer Lordship," she replied as they pulled apart.

"If he does anythin' out o' line, anythin' at all," William said, glancing at Hiccup who stood at the end of the dock next to his father, "Ye send me th' word an' Ah'll bloody swim over here tae set him straight."

"Thanks, Will," Merida replied with a chuckle.

"Hey, 'at's whit friends are fer," he replied with a shrug as he took a step back, allowing Andra to walk up to her. A bemused smile crossed her face as she looked at the young man, almost twice her size, playing with his hands and looking like he was about to burst into tears at any moment. Reaching down, he scooped Merida up and squeezed her against his chest, her arms to long enough to wrap around his frame and instead were forced to dig into his sides in an effort to return as Andra blubbered something along the lines of how he was going to miss her.

"Ah'm goin' tae miss ye too, Andra," Merida replied, awkwardly patting the large boy's sides before he released her and quickly wiped his teary eyes. Smiling at him, Merida turned her attention to Boyd, who was looking at her with a level of focus that caught her by surprise.

"Sorry Ah didnae beat him, Merida," he apologized, rubbing his bandaged arm.

"Daenae worry abit it, Boyd," she replied as she pulled him into a hug, "Ye tried yer best. At's whit counts."

Pulling away, she was able to turn just in time to get tackled by her brothers, the triplets swarming over her as she landed on the dock in a seated position with a thud, the air knocked out of her lungs.

"We daenae want tae gae!" Hamish whined, burying his face into Merida's left shoulder.

"We want tae stay with ye!" Hubert added from the confines of her right side.

"We daenae trust them!" Harris finished, his arms wrapped around her midsection.

"Ah know boys, Ah know," Merida cooed as she scooped the triplets up and stood back on her feet, "But this isnae a place fer ye. Ah daenae think these Vikings cud handle th' likes o' ye."

"Ye say 'at like it's a bad thin'," Hamish stated with a hint of confusion, causing Merida to chuckle before she gave each of them a kiss on the forehead and set them down, urging them back to her parents side. The triplets scurried over behind their mother, whose brown eyes nervously met with Merida's blue.

"Mother," she stated coolly, pausing and staring dispassionately at her mother for a long enough moment to make the queen shift uncomfortably, "Hae a safe trip."

With that, Merida turned on her heel and walked away, not giving Elinor a second glance as the queen raised her arm to stop her, her mouth open to say something, but instead sighed sadly, letting her arm fall to her side as cast her eyes at the creaking boards beneath her feet.

"Ah've lost her, Fergus," she whispered loud enough that only he could hear, "Ah've completely lost ma baby girl."

"Jist give her time," Fergus said, wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulders and pulling her close, "Ye're her mother, she canae hate ye forever."

"We'll see," Elinor replied, clearly not believing him.

As Merida made her way down the dock, her eyes looking straight forward, her arms rigid at her side, Hiccup stepped up to her, holding his finger up to get her attention.

"Uh hey, Merida," he mumbled, "I know we kind of, you know, got off on the wrong foot…but I figure we could, I mean, I could possibly, if you'd like…"

"Nae," Merida replied simply, walking right past Hiccup without even a glance.

"…me to show you around the village," Hiccup finished weakly, his finger drooping as his face fell. Stoick rolled his eyes but offered no comment.

"Hiccup," he spoke up, catching his son's attention, "Keep an eye on her, I don't want her getting into any trouble on my watch."

"What?" Hiccup asked, looking up at Stoick in confusion, "Did you not see how she just-"

"Son," Stoick interrupted Hiccup, shooting him a stern glance, "Keep an eye on her."

"Right," Hiccup replied weakly, pointing in the direction that Merida had gone, "I'll just go…do…that."

With that, Hiccup turned and jogged off in the direction Merida had gone in. Sighing and shaking his head, Stoick turned to where Fergus and Elinor were waiting for him, trudging over as the dock groaned under his weight.

"Well, this has been an interestin' day," Fergus stated with a sigh as Stoick stopped in front of him.

"I'll have to agree with ye on that," Stoick replied with a nod.

"Ye take care o' ma daughter, alright?" Fergus said seriously, pointing his finger at Stoick threateningly.

"I'll do what I can," Stoick replied, crossing arms, "But that girl may have more fire in her then any of us can handle. Especially my boy."

"Yer boy might just surprise you," Elinor interjected, giving Stoick a stern glance.

Stoick raised his eyebrow at the queen but said nothing.

"Safe voyage, Highlander," Stoick said, nodding to Fergus, who nodded back before the Viking chief turned and began making his way off the dock. Fergus gave his wife one last squeeze before turning and boarding their ship, the triplets trailing behind them.

As the four longships pulled away from the dock, Merida stood on one of the cliff sides within the village, where a path had been carved. She stood still as a statue, her eyes glued upon the quickly shrinking vessels, the banner of her homeland disappearing as they pulled further and further away. Hiccup stood where the path bent around the cliff, effectively hiding from the princess even though he was fairly certain she knew he was there. For a long time they stood like that, with Hiccup glancing uncertainly between Merida and the ground while the princess continued to gaze out at the sea long after the longships had disappeared over the horizon, which now burned with the rays of the setting sun.

"Is there someplace we hae tae be?" Merida asked suddenly, startling Hiccup so bad that he grabbed his chest in surprise.

"Um, I'm sorry, what?" he quickly mumbled.

"Is there someplace we hae tae be?" she repeated with an agitated edge, shooting Hiccup an annoyed glance.

"Um well, they'll probably be doing the funerals for the people that…you know…died today soon, and most people usually attend those," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Already?" she questioned, surprised, turning to face him fully.

"Um yeah, we usually don't wait long to set people to rest around here," he explained quickly, not looking her in the eye, "We usually don't have time to wait."

"Alright," Merida replied, flashing back to the dead body she had jumped over in the street while being chased by Mor'du and the Viking man she had seen being tackled through a door by a Vendal, "Then Ah suppose we should gae."

Hiccup nodded, looking down at the ground as the two stood in silence for a moment.

"Ah daenae know where we're goin', Hiccup," she spoke up, looking at him with a critical eye, "Ye'll hae tae lead me."

"Oh uh right!" Hiccup said with a surprised start, "Um follow me, I guess."

With that, Hiccup turned on his heel and began walking down the path, Merida following behind him. The two walked in awkward silence as they made their way further up the hill to the outskirts of the village. As they approached the edge of the woods, Merida could see that indeed most of the villagers had gathered. Between them and the woods, piles of woods and kindling were being set up, shaped into large squares. It took a moment for Merida to realize just what the piles of wood were. Pyres. They were going to burn the dead.

"Ye're nae goin' tae bury them?" Merida asked.

"Only the greatest of heroes get a barrow," Hiccup explained, shaking his head, "There's not enough room on this island to bury everyone."

Merida said nothing as she mulled over the fact, following Hiccup as he led them over to his father's side. Stoick stood at the front and center of the group, his arms crossed over his chest as he observed the building of the pyres. He glanced down as the two teenagers stopped at his side.

"Ah, Princess Merida," he greeted coldly, "Come to see how the Vikings treat their dead?"

"Ah felt Ah should pay ma respects," Merida replied, not looking at him, instead watching, as the Vikings brought out the deceased and began laying each of them on their own pyre, ten in all. Each of the bodies was terribly mangled in one way or another, and, to Merida's horror, the majority no longer possessed their heads.

"Whit…Whit happened tae their heads?" she whispered, aghast.

"Vendal took them," Stoick explained, "They always do if they can. Don't know why. Don't want to know why."

Merida gave an involuntary shiver before a thought occurred to her.

"Whit dae ye dae with th' Vendal bodies?" she asked, glancing up at the Viking chief.

"Nothin'," Stoick replied, "They're never here when the battle is over."

"Whit dae ye mean?" she asked in confusion.

"I mean the Vendal always take their fallen with them, without fail," Stoick explained, "I don't know why they do that either, before you ask."

Merida said nothing more as the bodies were finished being put upon their pyres. As the Vikings returned to the group, a short, old woman stepped forward. She was incredibly short, standing only about half of Merida's height, with a hunched posture. Her face was wrinkled and sagging, her pale blue eyes observing the world while flanking her crooked nose. She had long white hair that Merida guessed used to be blonde, held in matching braids that framed her face. She wore an iron helmet with curved horns upon her head while her body was covered in a brown, fur tunic, under which Merida could see a pair of orange leggings. She wore brown, fur-lined boots on her feet and fur sleeves on her lower arms. She carried a gnarled, wooden staff that was taller than her, decorated with trinkets and talismans and a simple stone pendant hung around her neck.

"Who's 'at?" Merida whispered to Hiccup.

"That's Gothi the Elder," Hiccup explained, "She's the village priestess. She's going to give the people their last rights."

As they spoke, Gothi came to a stop before the pyre at one end of the line, sighing as she leaned against her staff. After a moment, she held out her hand, in which a waiting Viking placed a burning torch. Gothi looked at the burning flame for a few moments before turning to the pyre in front of her.

"Let us pray," she said in a raspy voice that none the less appeared to command everyone's attention.

"_Lo there do I see my father,_" she chanted as she placed the torch against the pyre, the dry wood instantly catching fire, racing up to consume the fuel and the body with it.

"_Lo there do I see my mother,_" Gothi continued, setting the next pyre ablaze as she made her way down the line.

"_Lo there do I see my sisters, my brothers,_" Gothi pressed on, as Merida began noticing some of the other Vikings had begun chanting along with her.

"_Lo there I see the line of my people, back to the beginning_," the chant continued as Gothi lit pyre after pyre, the light from the flames battling against the falling twilight. It was unmistakable that the other Vikings had joined in.

"_Lo, they do call to me,_" the chant continued as Gothi lit the last pyre before making her way back to the center of the group, the flames already licking at the bodies that lay upon the wooden structures.

"_They bid me take my place among them in the halls of Valhalla,_" the Vikings continued to chant, their heads bowed in respect as Merida looked around in a mixture of confusion and awe. Glancing to her side, she saw that even Hiccup was reciting the prayer along with his people.

"_Where the brave may live forever_," Gothi finished solemnly as a hush fell over the crowd. For a few long moments, no one said anything, all eyes upon the flickering pyres and the bodies of friends, family and loved ones slowly being reduced to ash. Then, without a word, the crowd began to break up, turning and heading back down to the village as the pyres burned to embers.

"Whit now?" Merida asked, her hostility momentarily forgotten. Hiccup blinked at her in surprise, apparently having momentarily forgotten she was there.

"Um, now there's usually some kind of feast in the Great Hall," he replied with a shrug, "That's what we usually do anyway."

Merida cringed at the idea, having heard stories of what Viking feasts were like.

"Guess this will be your first experience with Viking foods," Hiccup commented as they made their way to the Great Hall.

She had heard stories about that too.

"Wonderful," Merida sighed, "Ah can hardly wait."

_Later,_

Hours had passed and night had completely fallen outside, but from within the confines of the noisy Great Hall, Merida did not notice. She was surprised to admit that she was enjoying herself more than she had been expecting to. While the feast itself was every bit as rambunctious as she had been expecting, even if she hadn't seen anyone stab someone else yet, the food was much better than she had been prepared for, almost on par with what she was used to back home.

She was currently seated at the head table which sat at the back of the Hall, opposite the door leading inside and running perpendicular to the rest of the tables. Stoick sat at the middle of the table, with Hiccup to his right and Gothi to his left. Merida sat on Hiccup's right while to Gothi's left sat the black haired man she had seen with Stoick that morning when her family had first arrived. Sitting to the man's left was the boy she had seen earlier that day as well.

"Enjoying your food?" Hiccup questioned awkwardly, trying to start a conversation for the fifth time since they had sat. Merida sighed and decided to relent, the passing hours since her outburst, her family's departure and the funeral ceremony having extinguished whatever anger that had been boiling in her early. Despite her feelings of trepidation towards the Viking teen, some sort of conversation had to be better than the awkward silence they currently sat in.

"It's good," she replied, glancing at him briefly before focusing her attention on the leg of lamb she had been eating, "Better than Ah was expectin'. Certainly beats haggis."

"What's haggis?" Hiccup asked, shooting her a confused look as he took another bite of his meat.

"Stuffed sheep's stomach," Merida explained nonchalantly, causing Hiccup to choke on his food in surprise and almost spit it out, earning a chuckle from the princess as she glanced at him. Pounding his fist against his chest to stop his chocking, Hiccup up quickly took a swig of his drink, before rubbing the back of his neck and smiling embarrassedly, heat rising in his cheeks at the sight of her half smile and the quick sound of her laugh.

"Aye, 'at's how Ah feel abit it too," she joked, looking him right in the eyes, still smirking at him, causing his face to redden even more. They fell into silence again, though Merida couldn't help but notice it wasn't as awkward this time. Glancing down the table again, her curiosity got the better of her.

"Hiccup," she said, catching his attention, "Who are those two at th' other end o' th' table?"

"Oh," Hiccup replied as his face fell a little, "That's my uncle, Spitlout and my cousin, Snotlout."

"He yer father's brother?" she asked.

"No," Hiccup replied with a shake of his head as he stared at his food, playing with it but not eating, "My mother's."

"Oh," Merida said, noticing she had hit on what appeared to be a touchy subject, "Ah take it she's nae around anymore?"

"Hasn't been for a long time," Hiccup replied, answering the question that Merida tried to broach sensitively.

"Ah see," Merida replied, picking at her food as well "Ah'm…sorry tae hear 'at."

"Thank you," Hiccup stated, looking at her and giving an awkward smile.

As the two continued eating, a cry suddenly went up from the crowd.

"A song!" a Viking man called, standing and almost falling over his seat, a flagon of mead sloshing in his hand, "Give us a song, Stoick!"

"I fear this day might be too solemn for song, my friend," Stoick replied, despite his chuckle of amusement.

"Too solemn?" the man questioned, "Your son has won himself a bride! A…how's it go? A wee bonnie princess at that! That's a feat worthy enough for song right there!"

Merida flushed angrily at the comment and glared at the man as Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck and looked down at his food, smiling awkwardly.

"Yeah, especially because I thought for sure that little Highlander was going to split his skull open with that axe!" another Viking declared, causing the whole hall to laugh uproariously. Glancing at Hiccup, Merida saw his smile fall and couldn't help but notice that the loudest laughter seemed to come from the end of the table where Snotlout sat.

"Still all the same, our new princess should bear witness to your songs," the first Viking continued, "Even if it has to be a solemn one."

Stoick chuckled again, and gave a nod.

"Very well then," he replied, earning a cry of praise as the Viking man sat back down. As silence fell over the crowd, Stoick's smile faded away as he readjusted himself in his seat. He took a deep breath, and then, to Merida, it seemed all the sound in the world stopped.

"_Far over the misty mountains cold_," the chieftan sung with a voice so deep that Merida swore she could feel it reverberate in her chest, "_To dungeons deep, and caverns old_."

"_We must away, ere break of day,_" he sang, holding everyone, Merida included, in rapt attention, "_To claim our long-forgotten home._"

"_The pines were roaring on the height_," Stoick continued, as Merida noticed that some of the Vikings had begun to hum along with him, the vibrations seeming to shake the entire building, "_The winds were moaning in the night._"

"_The fire was red, its flaming spread_," Stoick sung as a few other Vikings joined in, creating a deep, solemn harmony, "_The trees like torches, blazed with light_."

"_The bells were ringing in the dale,_" Stoick words lifted into the air, mingling with other voices as more and more of the Vikings joined, "_And men looked up with faces pale._"

"_The dragon's ire more fierce then fire,_" Stoick continued and by now the whole hall had joined in, even Hiccup, "_Laid low their towers and houses frail_."

_"The castle smoked beneath the moon; the men, they heard the tramp of doom,_" the song continued as Merida focused on Hiccup's lighter and slightly nasal voice, causing the Viking teen to blush as he sung, "_They fled their hall to dying fall, beneath his feet, beneath the moon._"

"_Far over the misty mountain cold, to dungeons deep, and caverns old,_" the hall sang as one, their voices so loud now that Merida was sure the whole island and beyond could hear them, "_We must away, ere break of day, to seek our long-forgotten home_."

As the last note reverberated to the very stone foundation of the Great Hall, all the Vikings turned their eyes to their chieftain, who smiled and nodded at them. Merida watched with wide eyes, feeling a sense of kinship in the room that she couldn't quite explain.

"Well," Stoick said with a good natured chuckle, "I suppose that puts an end to this feast."

The other Vikings chuckled along with him as they nodded their heads in agreement. Slowly, the Vikings rose to their feet and began to make their way out of the Hall. Stoick watched them for a moment before turning his attention to the two teens sitting to his right.

"Come on you two, that means us as well," he said, before his gaze focused on Merida, "When we get home, Hiccup will show you to the spare bedroom where you'll be spendin' yer nights until your parents' return."

Merida nodded without comment and the three rose from their seats and began to make their way out of the hall with everyone else. Merida stepped in besides Hiccup, a pensive look on her face as she followed the young man.

"Hiccup," she spoke up as they neared the door, catching the Viking teen's attention and causing him to blink in surprise, "Whit was 'at song ye were all singin' about?"

"Oh that one?" he questioned with a chuckle, "It's an old Viking song about the Red Death destroying the capital of the old Viking kingdom and scattering all the tribes. You'd find a variation in pretty much any Viking village you visited."

"Ah see," Merida replied, "Ah take it yer people miss those times."

"Wouldn't you?" Hiccup inquired, raising an eyebrow at her, "I mean, don't get me wrong, not even Gothi is old enough to have been alive when that kingdom still existed. It's kind of hard to miss something you never really knew. But still, wouldn't you? Wouldn't you miss it? Knowing there was a time when your people where better than they are now, when they were safer and at peace. Despite what they say, I think everyone wants peace, so I don't believe there's a Viking alive who doesn't miss those times."

"Even ye?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him, causing him to smirk.

"Yeah, even me," he answered, before looking at his surroundings. He could see that his father had managed to get a good distance in front of them in the crowd, already outside while they were nearing the door. Just as they stepped through the door and began making their way towards his father, who was already heading for home, Hiccup felt someone jerk hard on his arm and pull him out of the crowd before shoving him back against the hard wooden wall.

Hiccup grunted as some of the air was knocked out of his lungs before he managed to get a bearing on where he was. He stood to the side of the door, the stream of people leaving the Great Hall slowly dwindling to his right. Looking before him, he saw Snotlout standing a few feet in front of him, rubbing a finger against his nose as he grinned satisfyingly at Hiccup.

"Hey cuz," Snotlout greeted with false friendliness, "Pretty big day, huh?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Hiccup replied, rubbing one of his shoulders that was now sore from the impact against the wall. Scanning his surroundings, he saw that Snotlout was not alone. A bit to the side of the other boy stood Astrid, her arms crossed, looking at him with half boredom and half contempt.

Next to Astrid stood another girl roughly the same age with fair skin, bleach blonde hair, blue eyes and a slim build. She wore a tan, leather vest over a blue tunic, along with dark brown leggings under a tan skirt. She had dark grey sleeves that covered her lower arms and wrapped around her middle fingers, along with a dark brown leather belt around her waist, dark grey, fur-lined boots on her feet and a dragon's tooth hanging from around her neck by a length of yarn. An iron helmet with two pairs of horns that stuck out to the side sat on her head, while her long, thick hair was woven into two braids that framed her face along with a pair of short pigtails that stuck out from the side of her head. Her angular face framed a savage grin she sent in Hiccup's direction.

On Snotlout's other side stood another boy who looked remarkably like the girl. He too had fair features, bleach blonde hair, blue eyes and a slim build. He wore a brown, fur vest over a light blue tunic along with grey leggings. He had a brown leather belt around his waist, a pair of brown, fur-lined boots on his feet, light brown wrappings around his lower arms and dragon's tooth hanging from a string around his neck. His long blonde hair hung loose around his face and an iron helmet with two pairs of horns sticking out to the side sat on his head. He wore a matching savage grin as he looked over Hiccup like a piece of meat.

Finally, hanging near the back, was another boy the same age as them. He had fair features, short straw blonde hair, blue eyes and hefty physique that made him almost twice the size of any of the other Viking teens. He wore a large, brown fur tunic that hung down to his knees along with dark green leggings and brown, fur-lined boots. An almost comically small iron helmet with two equally small curved horns sat on his head. He regarded the whole seen with an anxious gaze, appearing to anticipate something would go wrong at any moment.

"So how's it hanging?" Snotlout asked Hiccup, snapping him back to the moment at hand, "When are you going to introduce me to your new betrothed? I mean, we are family after all."

"Hiccup?" Merida called a bit behind Snotlout before Hiccup could say anything. Glancing over his shoulder, Snotlout grinned at Hiccup before turning around.

"Hey there!" he called out, catching Merida's attention, "He's right over here, we were just having a friendly chat."

Merida eyed Snotlout warily as she walked over to them. The Viking teen continued to grin at her as he stuck his hand out for her to shake.

"Snotlout Jorgenson," Snotlout introduced himself as Merida hesitantly shook his hand, the tone of his voice putting her on edge "I'm Hiccup's cousin. Great to have you joining the family."

"Thank ye," Merida replied warily, quickly pulling her hand back, "Hiccup told me abit ye durin' th' feast."

"Did he now?" Snotlout asked before turning to Hiccup and playfully hitting Hiccup on the arm causing the other young man to wince, "You scamp, talking about me behind my back!"

"Yeah, you know me," Hiccup laughed awkwardly as he moved to go, "Anyway, me and Merida need to be getting back to my house so we can get her all situated, so if you don't mind…"

Hiccup moved to walk away but was stopped when Snotlout violently shoved him in the chest causing Hiccup to slam against the wall of the Great Hall.

"What's the hurry, cuz?" Snotlout asked him with a hint of venom in his voice, "The house isn't going anywhere."

"I suppose you're right about that," Hiccup gasped, coughing from the air being knocked out of his lungs.

"Why don't you introduce the pretty lady to everyone?" Snotlout suggested, before turning to look at Merida, his eyes roaming her up and down, "And my, she is very pretty up close, isn't she?"

"Um, yeah," Hiccup replied as he pushed himself away from the wall, his eyes darting to Merida who took a hesitant step away from Snotlout, "I'll do that."

"Merida," Hiccup said, catching her attention, "These are some of the guys from around the village. These are the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston."

"Hey," the boy, Tuffnut, greeted Merida, nodding and grinning wickedly at her.

"How you doing?" the girl, Ruffnut, added with a matching nod and grin.

"And back there is uh, Fishlegs Ingerman," Hiccup continued, indicating towards the large boy. Merida noticed something below the awkwardness the two regarded each other with, but couldn't make out what it meant.

"And last, but not least, we have-" he began but was cut off as Astrid stepped right up to Merida, looking dead into Merida's eyes with an intensity that surprised and confused her.

"Astrid," the other girl practically growled, "Astrid Hofferson."

"It's uh good tae meet ye all," Merida said, taking a step away from Astrid, "It's nice tae um meet Hiccup's friends."

Astrid snorted in contempt as Snotlout and the twins let out a chuckle.

"We're not his friends," Snotlout stated with another chuckle.

"Then…then whit are ye?" Merida asked in confusion.

"We're what this village is supposed to have," Snotlout explained, "Strong, traditional, future dragon slaying Vikings. Not like this useless runt."

As he said that, Snotlout reached out and wrapped his arm around Hiccup's neck and put him into a hold, grinding the knuckle of his other hand onto the young man's skull.

"And not like you either, princess," Astrid hissed, pulling Merida's attention away from Hiccup's struggling, as she took another step towards the redhead, forcing Merida to take another step back, "Don't think that just because you're here that makes you one of us. You're an outsider, someone who would be our enemy if our leaders didn't have bigger things to worry about than you stupid Highlanders."

"Whit's yer problem!?" Merida demanded as she felt her anger rising in her stomach.

"You're my problem!" Astrid shouted back at her, getting right in Merida's face, causing the princess to take another surprised step backwards, almost tripping over her own feet. As Merida stumbled Astrid reached out and grabbed Merida's arm hard, causing the other girl to hiss in pain.

"Let gae o' me!" Merida exclaimed, trying to pull away from Astrid's iron grip.

"It would have been better if you had just killed the runt," Astrid growled, ignoring Merida's pleas, "Then we could have executed you like we should have, and killed your entire stupid family while we were at it. That way we wouldn't have to worry about your kind ever again!"

"Shut up!" Merida shouted, her hands clenching into fists as she shook with rage.

"Or what you spoiled brat!?" Astrid yelled back at her. At that moment, Merida felt any semblance of control she had wash away as she threw a punch at Astrid, striking the other girl across the chin. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise as Astrid stumbled back a step, rubbing her jaw in shock, before turning and glaring at Merida. Before the other girl could react, Astrid rushed her, grabbing the princess by the throat and slamming her against the wall of the Great Hall. Merida coughed in surprise before she brought both hands up and wrapped them around Astrid's wrist, trying to pull the other girl away as she felt the Viking's grip tighten around her windpipe.

"Whoa, Astrid, don't you think that's a little harsh?" Ruffnut asked, a concerned look on her face.

"Shut up!" Astrid spat back at the other girl before turning to glare at Merida, who was beginning to turn blue.

"What's goin' on here!?" a voice shouted, before they all turned to see Gobber hobbling over towards them, "Whit th' Hel dae ye think ye're all doin'!?"

"Crap!" Snotlout shouted as he released his hold on Hiccup, causing the smaller boy to fall to the ground as Astrid reluctantly released her hold on Merida's throat, causing the other girl to slide to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.

"Let's get out of here!" Tuffnut declared as he and the other quickly made to run away before Gobber reached them.

"Another time, princess," Astrid growled, sparing Merida one last glare before running off with the others. Hiccup was picking himself up just as Gobber reached him.

"Hiccup, are ye alright?" he asked, looking at the boy with concern.

"Yeah, don't worry about me," Hiccup replied, waving the man off before turning his attention to Merida, who was picking herself up off the ground, holding out a hand to help her up "Merida, are you-"

"Leave me alone!" she shouted, slapping his hand away as she thrust herself to her feet and took off running into the night.

"Merida!" Hiccup shouted, running after her into the darkness, "Merida wait!"

"Hiccup, hold on a second!" Gobber called after the boy as he hobbled after him.

Merida rushed through the darkened village, ignoring Hiccup calling her name behind her even though she had no idea where she was running to. Eventually, she reached the village outskirts by running uphill and burst into the forest, dodging around trees as the brush grabbed at the hem of her dress. Ultimately, she came to a stop at a cliff edge, falling to her knees as her lungs burned. It was then that the tears came anew as she gave into her sorrow, sobs wracking her body as she held her face in her hands.

After a few minutes of crying, Merida slowly lifted her face from her hands, observing her surroundings with tear filled eyes. The cliff over looked the churning sea, black and formless beneath the night sky. A full moon hung over head, casting everything in a pale light as the stars danced around it in the sky. Slowly, Merida's eyes fell to the horizon, to the west where her home lay across the mighty sea, and she was filled with the desire to leap into the sea and swim all the miles between here and there. But she knew she couldn't. She was trapped there, on the rocky island of Berk, and she felt completely, utterly alone.

"_Ah hear th' mountain birds, th' sound o' rivers singin'_," she sung quietly to herself, "_A song Ah've often heard._"

"_It flows through me now, sae clear an' sae loud_," she sung louder, the melodic beauty of her voice clashing with sorrow of her song, "_Ah stand where Ah am_."

"_An' forever, Ah'm dreamin' o' home,_" she continued, her words carried through the forest by the ocean breeze, "_Ah feel sae alone, Ah'm dreamin' o' home_."

"_It's carried in th' air, th' breeze o' early mornin',_" her words echoed through the forest, catching Hiccup's attention as he frantically searched for her, causing him to pause in confusion as he listened, "_Ah see th' land sae fair._"

"_Ma heart opens wide, there's sadness inside,_" her song flowed through the woods, prompting Hiccup to follow it, "_Ah stand where Ah am_."

"_An' forever, Ah'm dreamin' o' home,_" Merida continued to sing, standing up and facing the ocean, unaware of Hiccup standing at the edge of the forest behind her, watching and listening in rapt attention, "_Ah feel sae alone, Ah'm dreamin' o' home_."

"_This is nae foreign sky, Ah see nae foreign light,_" she sung, her voice echoing almost across the entire island, causing some of the villagers to look around in confusion, "_But far away Ah am, from some peaceful land._"

"_Ah'm longin' tae stand, a hand in ma hand,_" Merida sang loudly, tears falling from her eyes as Hiccup leaned against a tree, watching her, "_An' forever, Ah'm dreamin' o' home,_ _Ah feel sae alone_."

"_Forever Ah'm dreamin' o' home_," Merida's voice trailed off as she reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hiccup," she spoke up after a few moments, causing the young man to jump to attention in surprise.

"Uh yeah?" Hiccup asked nervously.

"Can ye take me back tae yer house?" she asked, turning to look at him, her icy blue eyes almost glowing in the moonlight in a way that took Hiccup's breath away, "Ah'd like tae gae tae bed."

"Um, right, sure," Hiccup replied, before beckoning her to follow him, the two making their way silently through the forest back to the village.

Unbeknownst to them, another had heard the song, perched upon a higher cliffside. It was a reptilian creature of large size, dwarfing even a horse. It had sleek, black scales that blended perfectly, spiked ridges along the side of its head and down its back and a form that resembled a salamander, with large ear-like appendages on either side of its wide face. It fluttered its large, bat-like wings as it observed the two teenagers with yellowish-green eyes with black irises.

As the creature watched them leave, its ears pricked up as a soft sound, almost like a child murmuring, came from nearby. Turning, the creature saw a tiny, spectral creature floating a few feet away from it. The specter was light blue color and made out of some sort of formless mist that glowed in the darkness. It had a vaguely humanoid form, with a head, torso, and two spindly arms that trailed off into wisps of vapor. It regarded the creature with two pinprick eyes.

The creature sniffed the specter suspiciously before it vanished with another murmur, causing the creature to sniff in surprise. It darted its eyes around in confusion, before spreading its wings and taking off into the sky, disappearing into the inky blackness.

Meanwhile, alone figure stood on the edge of the forest, observing the creature as it disappeared into the night before glancing towards where Merida and Hiccup had walked off in. After a moment, there came another murmur as the specter appeared over the figure's shoulder. Chuckling, the figure pat the specter on the head with a gnarled hand before turning and walking deeper into the forest.

"Come along dearie," the figure said with a raspy, feminine voice, "Zhere's much vork to be done."

A/N: Alternate title: the Musical Chapter! Well, that one was a doozy, to say the least. I was originally going to split this into two chapters, but figured I'd rather get it all out in one go. Hope you guys appreciate it! Well, all the pieces are set, so the story is in full swing now! However, what happens next might not be what you expect! For those who are wondering, the Viking song is "Misty Mountains Cold" (with a little bit of rearranging) from the Hobbit, and Merida's song "Dreaming of Home/Hyme des Fraternises" from Joyeaux Noel. While neither of those songs are in either of these movies I felt they fit really, really well and wanted to use them. I hope you guys liked this chapter! As always, critiques are welcome so please review! Later!


	7. Broken

**Chapter 7: Broken**

Merida, dressed in her dark blue dress, sighed as she sat upon Angus' back, looking down at the island of Berk stretching out below her. Her bow was looped around her shoulders, she finally having gotten around to recovering it after that first horrible day on Berk, thankful that no one had taken it from the arena floor. The horse and rider currently stood on one of the island's highest, rocky cliffs, the forest, valleys and crags all visible to her. It had been weeks since she had first arrived on the island and she had done little other than explore the land. Not that it was truly by choice, the Vikings had given her nothing to do in the village and seemed to prefer that she be in the area as little as possible, an unspoken request she was more than happy to oblige. It's not like she really wanted to do any work for the Vikings anyway, though she'd be lying if she said that the work done at the smithy didn't interest her to some degree.

Merida was happy to be out of the village also because it meant she didn't have to be around the Vikings. Stoick seemed to resent the fact she was there at all, almost as if Merida staying in his home hadn't been his idea in the first place. Stoick's attitude towards Merida was practically welcoming however in comparison to the outright hostility she received from the teenagers, especially Astrid, who seemed to loathe her entire existence. Merida had to admit though that Hiccup seemed to be interested in getting to know her. Or at least, he made it seem like he was, as Merida was fairly certain he was just putting on a show for her, that he had a somewhat better grasp of diplomacy than his father and new that playing nice with her would be better for both of their peoples, even though it made him seem two-faced to her.

Merida sighed again as she looked over the wilderness that covered most of the island which she had been exploring for the majority of her time there. Merida was shocked to discover that the island's forests and cliffs were actually quite beautiful in spite of how the island looked on the outside. The forest was made of towering trees, mostly of spruces and other evergreens that had adapted to the bitterly cold northern winters. The flora was rounded out by ferns and mosses that covered the forest floor. A few small lakes and ponds made from collected rainfall and thawed snow dotted the landscape, rolling down the hills and cliffs to form streams and even small rivers that cut across the forest on their way back into the ocean, pouring over the steep sides of the island in frankly beautiful waterfalls. Dominating the forest were numerous species of birds and small creatures such as squirrels, mice and rabbits, their numbers strong thanks to the lack of any natural predators existing on the island save for eagles, owls and the Vikings themselves.

The cliffs, while lacking in the life that dominated the forests, were still rather breathtaking, the erosion of the sea, the rivers and the weather creating rock formations that were a sight to behold. Also, from the cliffs Merida could see the rocks and small islands that surrounded Berk almost like a protective ring. Some were sharp rocks jutting out of the sea like teeth, while others were leaning towers of stone that stood almost as tall as Berk itself. She even caught sight of some massive stones that created arches over the crashing waves.

Merida and Angus currently stood on one of the highest points of the island, near the center where the continually rising land reached its point. Merida and Angus had worked their way up the rising earth that surrounded the cliff throughout the afternoon and were currently taking a break, Angus deciding to graze a little on the coarse grass that grew through the hard earth. The horse seemed to have been enjoying his time exploring the island with Merida, though Berk was slightly too confined for him to go galloping across the countryside, which probably explained why he seemed to be the only horse on the island.

Glancing to the west, Merida saw that the sun was beginning to set beneath the horizon, the blue of the sky transforming into purples and oranges, the light of the stars beginning to poke through in the east. Sighing, she turned her eyes back in the direction of the village, realizing it had come time to head back so she and Angus wouldn't be stumbling around in the dark.

"Come on," Merida said, catching Angus' attention, "It's time tae head back."

The horse snorted as he turned and began clomping down the steep hill to the side of the cliff before trotting through the forest. As the horse and rider reluctantly made their way through the woods, twilight fell over the island, the stars and the moon shining while the last light from the sun faded as they reached the outskirts of the village, close to Stoick, Hiccup and, she supposed, her home.

As Merida slid from Angus' back and began to lead him over to his stable, a screeching sound cut through the night and straight to her heart. Her icy blue eyes went wide as she whipped her head towards the center of the village, her red hair flying wildly around her as she did. A warning horn sounded from one of the watch towers and she saw beacons being lit and raised into the night sky. Her blood ran cold as she hoped against hope that this wasn't what she thought it was.

"DRAGONS!" someone called from village as monstrous screams cut through the air and fire began raining from the sky.

"Angus!" she cried, whirling around to face the horse, who stared at her with wide, fearful brown eyes, "Ye have tae get out o' th' village! Back intae th' forest, it will be safer fer ye there!"

The horse shook his head roughly, clearly afraid but not willing to leave the princesses side.

"Ah'm nae arguin' with ye Angus!" Merida shouted before running to the horse's other side and slapped his rear end, urging the horse to bolt back into the woods. Angus took the time to glance back at Merida as he ran, seeing her urging him on.

"Gae!" Merida screamed as the horse disappeared into the dark woods, "GAE!"

As she did, there suddenly came a loud thud from behind her and she felt the earth shake slightly beneath her feet. Merida froze in place, swallowing loudly as she heard something moving behind her. Slowly, Merida turned around, dreading what she would find. Standing behind her was clearly a dragon standing roughly twice her height and possessing at least four times her mass. It was mostly light blue in color, its scales glistening in the moonlight, while those on its belly faded into white. She noticed that it had a bird-like physique, with two backward jointed legs and folded wings at its side, its long tail balancing out its large head. Its head was mostly dominated by its large, lizard-like snout, the mouth filled with curved, razor sharp teeth that stuck out past its lips. Its large nostrils sniffed at the air as it glanced around with yellow and black, eyes with slit pupils that flanked its snout. From the end of its snout grew a long horn that curved back towards its head while a frill of yellow spikes grew from the base of its skull. A row of yellow spines grew down its back, while its blue and yellow striped tail was completely covered in them. Its wings were bat-like, the membrane colored yellow while the boney structures were blue. On each wing, a small, finger-like, yellow claw grew from the lower joint. Four yellow claws grew from its feet, spread out along each foot to keep the dragon's balance, while a similarly color spur grew from the back of each foot.

Merida had only seen a few dragons in her life, the mighty beasts seemingly disliking the Highlands. She recalled one attacking Castle Dunbroch when she was younger, and had seen a handful flying over the castle. She even encountered a couple while exploring the wilderness around her home, though it was always either from afar or she snuck away before the dragon caught wind of her. Her mother taught her about them as part of her studies, and her father always came back with stories when he was called away to help protect a part of the kingdom from a particularly vicious one or group of dragons. So as the beast eyed her, its head cocked to the side to study her, Merida knew exactly what it was the stood before her.

"Nadder," Merida whispered to herself, almost as if she had to tell herself the answer. As she said that, the Nadder roared at her, as if her saying its name enraged it. Merida screamed in fright as the Nadder lunged at her, forcing her to roll out of the way. Rolling to her feet, Merida quickly unslung her bow from her shoulders and drew an arrow. She spun around to face the Nadder, notching the arrow and pulling it back, aiming it right at the dragon.

The Nadder hissed as it turned to face Merida again. As it did, the Nadder opened its massive mouth wide, a glow appearing in the back of its throat. Merida's eyes widened in surprise as she realized what the Nadder was doing. As the fire grew in the Nadder's throat, Merida loosed her arrow, sending it flying right into the Nadder's gaping maw, the missile imbedding itself into the top of the dragon's mouth. The Nadder screeched in pain as it lifted its head up, shooting fire into the night sky.

Merida quickly notched another arrow, backing away from the Nadder and watching in fear and awe as the flames cut off. Turning back to Merida, the Nadder hissed angrily at her, flicking its tongue against the arrow in its mouth, snapping the shaft and sending it flipping through the air in a shower of blood and saliva before it came rolling to a stop at Merida's feet. Merida looked at it in surprise before aiming her bow at the Nadder again. The Nadder screeched at her in response and whipped its tale at her, sending a shower of spines flying at her. Letting out a yelp of surprise, Merida dove to the ground, avoiding the spines that impacted the ground around her.

Taking advantage of Merida being forced to the ground, the Nadder rushed at her, its jaw wide and its wings spread threateningly. Merida gasped in surprise as she tried to scramble to her feet but couldn't get away before the Nadder raised one of its clawed feet to slash her open. Before it could though, something tackled into the now unbalanced Nadder, sending the dragon tumbling to the ground. The Nadder screeched in surprise and pain as it rolled across the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris as it flapped its wings angrily.

As the Nadder tried to right itself, Merida looked to her savior, finding Stoick looming over her, his eyes trained on the Nadder before glancing at her.

"On yer feet, girl," he ordered, causing Merida to push herself to her feet, and dust herself off as the Nadder managed to pick itself up as well.

"Get to the smithy," Stoick told Merida as the Viking chief turned to face the Nadder which hissed at him angrily, "You'll be safer there."

"Whit?" Merida asked in confusion, "How will Ah be safer there?"

"It's where I keep my son, isn't it!?" he asked hurriedly as the Nadder began to charge at him, "Now go!"

Grunting in frustration, Merida turned around and slung her bow back over her shoulders as she ran while the Nadder slammed into Stoick, who dugs his feet in a met the charge head on, wrapping his arms around the dragon's snout and beginning to wrestling with it, being careful to not gore himself on the beast's horn.

As Stoick fought with the Nadder, Merida ran down the hill towards the village's center. Everyone was out, either fighting with the swooping dragons or trying to douse the flames that sought to consume buildings throughout the village. As she ran through the chaotic streets, she saw Snotlout, Astrid and their group of friends helping put out a fire on the roof of one of the houses. Turning away, she dodged out of the way of a man fighting with smaller dragon before ducking around another corner, bringing the smithy into sight.

Running up to the door, Merida flung herself against it, slamming the door open and sending the princess stumbling into the smithy, loudly knocking over a couple of weapons before catching herself on a wooden chest.

"Merida?" she heard Hiccup say, causing her to turn to look around the room. It was set up much like the smithy that was in the castle back home. In one corner sat a bench that seemed to be a desk used for designing, covered in scratch of parchment and charcoal pencils. In another corner sat a pair of workbenches covered in tools and clamps. The furnace and billows occupied a third corner, the coals burning hotly within the metal confines while the fourth corner had a large window that opened to the outside, a desk strew with weapons in front of it while a few racks of weapons hung from the wall on either side. At the center of the room sat a black anvil next to a large bucket of water. Hiccup stood at the anvil, working on a sword, an apron on over his clothes, his vest hanging on a peg on the wall. Nearby, Gobber stood at the bench by the window. They both wore matching surprised expressions as Merida picked herself up and brushed off her dress.

"Whit?" she asked irritatedly, eyeing them both with an annoyed expression, "Ye act like ye've ne'er seen me afore."

"No! No, it's not that," Hiccup replied hurriedly, dropping the hammer he had been holding and the sword he was working on before holding them up defensively, "It's just that I've never seen you, you know, in here before."

"Aye," Gobber agreed, as he handed a passing Viking a battleaxe, "Certainly didnae expect ye tae come flyin' intae ma shop like 'at. Most people knock, ye know."

"Well, in case ye haenae noticed, there's a dragon attack happenin' outside!" Merida exclaimed, quickly slamming the door closed, "Sae Ah was in a bit o' a hurry."

"That's right, there hasnae been a dragon attack since ye came here, has there?" Gobber stated with a nod.

"Are you okay?" Hiccup asked, concern written on his face.

"Aye, Ah'm fine," Merida replied dismissively, looking around the shop, "Ah ran intae a Nadder near ye…the house. Yer da's takin' care o' it."

"Wait, you ran into a Nadder?" Hiccup asked, "Did it attack you?"

"O' course, it's a dragon isnae it?" Merida replied, shooting a confused and slightly irritated glance at him.

"How did you get away?" Hiccup questioned.

"Ah fought it aff until yer da showed up," Merida replied offhandedly.

"You fought off a Nadder!?" Hiccup exclaimed, surprised while Gobber looked at her with an impressed expression.

"Aye, shot it in th' mouth when it tried tae breathe fire at me," Merida said with a shrug, "Nae big deal really. It almost got me with those spines o' its, but yer da showed up an' started fighting it. Guess Ah owe him."

"You shot a Nadder in the mouth!?" Hiccup questioned, shocked while Gobber let out an impressed whistle.

"Ah got tae say, lass, 'at's pretty impressive fer someone without any dragon trainin'," Gobber stated.

"Thanks, Ah guess," Merida replied with another shrug as she continued to look around the smithy. Hiccup brushed a hand through his hair as Gobber chuckled while shaking his head incredulously.

"Well, looks like they might be leavin'," Gobber stated as he looked out of the window up at the sky as the screeching of dragons, shouts of Vikings and the clashing of metal against scales began to fade.

"Already?" Merida asked, confused, causing Gobber and Hiccup to shoot her confused looks of their own, "Nae 'at Ah'm complainin' or anythin', just surprised. Figured these attacks lasted longer."

"Nae usually," Gobber replied, "Th' point o' these attacks is tae raid our food supplies an' livestock. The dragons we actually end up fightin' are providin' cover fer th' others. Once th' raid is done, th' others make a break fer it themselves. Ah'm surprised though, Ah haenae heard anythin' about th'…"

Gobber trailed off as his ears pricked up. Listening as well, Merida could hear what sounded like a high-pitched whistle, sounding similar to wind being sucked through a narrow hole. His eyes widening in surprise, Gobber looked up, his jaw going slack in shock before whirling around to look at Merida and Hiccup, who looked at him with a mixture of confusion and worry.

"Doon!" Gobber shouted, turning fully from the window, "Get doon!"

Gobber's warning was followed by the sound of something whistling through the air at high speeds. Gober quickly dove to the ground as Hiccup spun around and grabbed Merida by the shoulders before pulling her down to the ground with him on top of her. A split second later, something slammed into the ground as there was a flash of purplish light and a blast of heat from outside the smithy accompanied by a deafening boom. After a moment, there was silence as smoke began to pour into the smithy from outside.

"Hiccup," Merida stated, looking up at the smithy's ceiling with an irritated expression as Hiccup lay on her.

"Yeah?" Hiccup asked.

"Ah think ye can get aff me now," she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Right!" Hiccup said quickly, springing up to his knees and holding his hands up and away from her, a blush completely covering his face, "Right, sorry."

"Whit was 'at?" Merida asked, picking herself up and brushing herself off.

"'At was a Night Fury," Gobber replied, grabbing the sill of the large window and pulling himself to his feet.

"Whit's a Night Fury?" Merida asked, as she moved over to the window, sucking in her breath as she looked outside. The building across the street from the smithy had been completely demolished, transformed into a smoking crater surrounded by rubble. The road before them had been scorched by intense heat and leaning out of the window, Merida could see that the walls of the smithy had been blackened as well. Flames burnt here and there amongst the destruction and the stench of sulfur filled the air.

"Be happy ya didnae know afore," Gobber replied as he reached up and closed the window, "Because th' Night Fury is th' fiercest dragon ye cud ever fear tae face this side o' th' Red Death."

Merida nodded, still in shock after witnessing such devastation.

"Ye two should probably be headin' back home," Gobber instructed them, "Th' worst is over, nothin' but cleanup tae dae."

"Do you think they could use my help?" Hiccup asked as he took off his apron and hung it up on a peg.

"Er nae Hiccup, th' work 'at needs doin' requires heavy liftin' 'at ye're nae really," Gobber paused as quickly looked Hiccup over, "equipped fer. Better tae show th' lady home an' be here bright an' early tomorrow. Ah'm sure there are plenty o' things 'at are goin' tae need fixin'."

"Okay," Hiccup sighed with disappointment as he pulled his vest off its peg and put it on, "Good night Gobber."

"Good night Hiccup," Gobber replied with a small smile before turning his eyes to Merida, "An' a good night tae ye too, princess."

"And tae ye as well, um, Godder," Merida stated, caught off guard by Gobber's friendliness.

"It's Gobber," Hiccup whispered to Merida as he walked over to her side.

"Och, right Gobber," Merida quickly corrected as she and Hiccup exited the smithy, "Sorry aboot 'at."

With that, Merida and Hiccup left the smithy, the two teens making their way up the hill towards the house. They were awkwardly silent for a few minutes, the only sound between them being the crunching of their feet against the dirt road.

"Thanks, Ah guess," Merida spoke up suddenly, startling Hiccup.

"Sure, don't mention it," Hiccup replied, smirking and waving his hand dismissively at her, before a look of confusion crossed his face as he looked at her, "Thanks for what?"

"Fer correctin' me back there," Merida explained, not meeting Hiccup's gaze, "An' Ah guess fer knockin' me tae th' ground when th' Night Fury attacked.

"Oh yeah," Hiccup said, blushing and scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Like I said, don't mention it."

The two teens walked in silence for a few moments before Merida spoke up again.

"Sae why were ye in th' smithy?" she asked, glancing at him and raising a questioning eyebrow.

"I kind of work there," Hiccup answered with a shrug.

"Work there?" Merida questioned, confused.

"Um yeah," Hiccup replied, scratching the back of his neck again, "I'm kind of Gobber's apprentice."

"Why is th' son o' th' village chief workin' as a blacksmith's apprentice?" Merida inquired, the confused look still on her face.

"It's one of the few things that I'm actually somewhat adequate at," Hiccup admitted with a sigh, "Plus it keeps me out of trouble, like my dad wants."

"'At's basically whit yer father said when he told me tae gae there earlier," Merida stated.

"Yeah, he would say something like that, wouldn't he?" Hiccup griped, sighing again.

"Ye seemed tae be doin' an okay job," Merida stated, glancing at him again, causing Hiccup to look at her with a raised eyebrow, to which she responded with a shrug as she looked at the ground.

"Gobber's a pretty good teacher," Hiccup explained.

"If ye say sae," Merida stated, the slight tone in her voice making it sound like she disagreed.

As the two neared the house, Merida happened to glance at the stable behind the house, happy to see it intact before realization struck her.

"Oh nae, Angus!" she exclaimed, a panicked look crossing her face.

"The horse?" Hiccup asked in confusion, startled again by Merida suddenly speaking up, "What about him?"

"When th' dragon attack started, Ah forced him tae run intae th' woods where he wud be safe," Merida explained as she turned to Hiccup, "Ah hae tae gae find him tae make sure he's nae hurt."

"I'm sure he's fine," Hiccup tried to reassure her, "He's the biggest animal on this island when the dragons aren't around and you made the right call, they don't really ever seem to go into the woods, not enough room for them."

"Still, Ah hae tae gae find him," Merida said as she began to rush towards the forest, Hiccup running after her, trying to keep up with the fleet-footed princess.

"I'll come too," Hiccup huffed behind her.

"If ye insist," Merida sighed, slowing down to allow Hiccup to catch up with her, "We'll cover more ground if we split up."

"Er, right," Hiccup replied, "What should I do if find him?"

"Jist start leadin' him back while callin' ma name," Merida answered, "He cudnae hae gone far."

With that, Merida veered off to the left in her search for Angus, causing Hiccup to sigh as she disappeared into the brush.

"You know," he said to himself sarcastically, "I'm starting to get the feeling that she's trying to avoid me."

As Hiccup began his search for the horse, Merida scanned the dark woods for Angus.

"Angus!" she called, trying to get the Clydesdale's attention, "Angus, where are ye!?"

"Well, well, well," a voice said from behind her, causing Merida to spin around in surprise as Astrid emerged from the shadows, "Look who's wandering around the woods in the middle of the night."

_Meanwhile_,

As Hiccup wandered around the forest, he happened upon a clearing, dominated by a peaceful glade. A whole garden's worth of flowers grew there, colored midnight blue, their stems seemingly pointed to the moon hanging over head. As Hiccup scanned the glade, he managed to make out the large shape of Angus in the pale moonlight.

"Angus!" he called as he jogged over to the horse, causing its ears to prick up and its head to lift to look in Hiccup's direction, "There you are."

Stopping next to the horse as it turned to face him, Hiccup took the time to marvel at just how big Angus really was compared to him, towering over the Viking as the Clydesdale observed him with its brown eyes.

"Hey there big fella," Hiccup greeted, suddenly very nervous, "Merida's been looking for you."

Angus seemed to recognize the name as he leaned forward and began to sniff Hiccup with his large nose.

"Hey, easy there, big guy," Hiccup said cautiously, "I'm just trying to help. Please don't like eat me or whatever it is that horses do to people they don't like."

Angus sniffed Hiccup for a few more moments before whinny quietly and nuzzling the teen with his snout.

"Well, I guess that means you like me," Hiccup stated with relief, reaching out and patting Angus on the head, "Now come on, I'm sure Merida will be even more happy to see you."

Noticing the reins hanging from Angus, Hiccup slowly reached out and took them into his hand, smiling when the horse offered no resistance. Hiccup turned to begin leading Angus out of the glade and back towards the village, but stopped as the dark blue flowers caught his eye again.

"Girls like flowers, right?" Hiccup asked Angus, shooting a questioning glance at the horse, "Do you think Merida would like these?"

Angus' snort offered very little in reply.

"Well, you're no help," Hiccup sighed, a smirk on his face as he playfully rolled his eyes at the horse while turning back to the flowers. Leaning down, he picked one of them before bringing it back up to his face for a closer examination.

"Yeah, I think she'll like these," Hiccup stated before he went about picking more of the flowers, a smile on his face, "I think I'll need all the help I can find to get on her good side."

_Meanwhile,_

"Whit dae ye want, Astrid?" Merida asked cautiously, taking a step away from the Viking girl.

"Just wanted to chat," Astrid replied with a shrug, "You've been doing a pretty good job of avoiding me since the last time we got to talk."

"'At's because th' last time we talked ye tried tae choke me," Merida pointed out, her icy blue eyes narrowing in anger.

"Actually, I was choking you," Astrid said darkly, all sense of false cordiality dropping from her face, "And I would have done a lot worse to you if Gobber hadn't shown up."

"Whit is yer problem with me?" Merida demanded, her anger boiling over, "Whit did Ah ever dae tae ye?"

"It's not what you did personally," Astrid explained, her blue eyes narrowing, "It's what your people did."

"An' whit, pray tell, did ma people dae?" Merida questioned.

"They killed my father," Astrid growled, taking a step towards Merida.

"Whit?" Merida asked, surprised.

"You know all those Vikings your people fought in our war? The ones they were so happy to kill?" Astrid questioned angrily, "One of them was my father!"

"Am Ah supposed tae be sorry fer 'at?" Merida asked, a look of disgust growing on her face, "Last time Ah checked, it was th' Vikings who started 'at war by invading th' Highlands. We were defendin' our homes from ye savages!"

"We had a famine that year!" Astrid shouted back, "Our people were literally starving to death!"

"Sae 'at makes it okay tae steal from us!?" Merida yelled, her hands clenched into fists, "'At makes it okay tae pillage our land, kill our people an' take whit was rightfully ours!? Ah bet whoever killed yer father was stoppin' him from committin' some heinous crime, like murderin' a child or rapin' a woman. Ah'm sure yer mother wud hae been proud if he came home tae tell ye 'at story!"

"You shut your damned mouth!" Astrid screamed as she suddenly reached for her belt and pulled out a knife, the blade flashing in the moonlight. Merida unslung her bow just as quickly, notching an arrow and pointing it at the other girl before she could take another step towards her.

"Stay back!" Merida threatened, the bowstring taut in her fingers.

"I remember you're pretty good with that bow," Astrid observed, indicating to the weapon with the blade of her knife, "Almost killed that worthless betrothed of yours with it that first day you were here. If I was far away, you'd have me dead to rights."

Astrid suddenly lashed out, grabbing the bow with her free hand and yanking it to the side, causing the arrow to fly wide as Merida released it, the missile burying itself in a nearby tree.

"Too bad I'm not far away," Astrid sneered before kneeing Merida in the stomach, wrenching the bow from the princesses grasp as the Highlander doubled over in pain. Reaching down, Astrid grabbed a handful of Merida's hair before yanking on it and tossing the other girl to the side, sending the redhead rolling through the brush.

"This is a nice bow," Astrid commented as she looked over the weapon, holding it in both hands and running her thumbs over the wood before turning her dark blue eyes back to Merida, "I'm guessing your father gave this to you."

Merida said nothing as she pushed herself to her hands and knees, watching helplessly as Astrid looked her directly in the eyes. Astrid's eyes bore into Merida's for a moment, before she lifted her knee up and quickly brought the bow down on it, snapping it cleanly in half with a loud crack.

"Oops," Astrid said dispassionately before tossing the remains of the weapon right in front of Merida. The princess stared at the broken bow, its two halves held together by the drawstring, for a few long moments, a look of anguish on her face. Slowly, her sorrow gave way to hate, angry tears welling up in her eyes as her hands balled up into fists in the coarse grass and her whole body shook with rage. She whipped her head up to glare at Astrid, who smirked back at her.

"Sorry about that," Astrid mocked as her smirk grew into a sneer. Screaming in fury, Merida jumped to her feet and leapt at Astrid, catching the other girl off guard and tackling her to the ground. The two teenage girls rolled through the brush, each trying to roll on top, Astrid dropping her knife in the struggle. Merida managed to plant herself on top of Astrid, smacking the other girl in the face a few times and splitting her lip before the Viking girl managed to grab hold of her arms and roll Merida off of her.

As Merida picked herself up, she had just enough time to look up before Astrid speared into her, lifting the princess of her feet before slamming her hard onto the ground, knocking all of the air out of the Highlander's lungs. As Merida recovered, Astrid stood up before kicking the redhead hard in the side, causing Merida to cry out it pain. While Astrid pulled her leg back to kick her again, Merida grabbed onto it, pulling the blonde off balance and knocking her to the ground again.

Astrid tried to push herself up, but Merida leapt on her again, pinning the Viking to the ground and grabbing the sides of her head. Astrid tried to push Merida off, placing her hands on the princess' face and shoving against her. Merida struggled against Astrid and began digging her fingers into the other girls face, earning a cry of pain from the blonde. Grabbing firmly onto Merida's head Astrid yanked it to the side, pulling the Highlander off of her and sending her rolling across the ground.

As Merida recovered, Astrid pushed herself to her feet, spotting her knife as she did. She quickly picked it up, turning her attention to Merida as the other girl began picking herself up as well. Letting out a rage filled cry, Astrid rushed at Merida, who looked at enraged teen with fear as she tried to scramble away.

Before Astrid could get to Merida, there came a monstrous scream as Angus came bursting into view, slamming into the stunned Viking and knocking her to the ground, the knife tumbling out of her grip. Astrid screamed as Angus reared back, rolling out of the way as the horse brought his massive hooves onto the ground where she had been laying a moment before.

"What the Hel's going on here!?" Hiccup shouted as he came running into view, a bouquet of flowers clutched in his hand, glancing first at Merida, who laid on the ground, fear still in her eyes and then at Astrid who stood nearby, blood beginning to ooze from the cuts on her face, "Astrid, what in Odin's name are you doing!?"

"What am I doing!?" Astrid demanded, "What the Hel are you doing, Hiccup!? Why are you defending this Highland trash!?"

"Why are you trying to kill her!?" Hiccup yelled back with more bravado then he knew he possessed.

"Are you kidding me!?" Astrid asked incredulously, "After everything her people did to us!? After she tried to kill you!? You're actually sticking up for her!? What's wrong with you!?"

Before Hiccup could say anything, Astrid glanced at what he was holding in his hands, before letting out a disbelieving laugh.

"Really? You picked flowers for her?" Astrid questioned, snatching the flowers out of his hands before he could do anything, "Do you actually like her or something?"

Hiccup sputtered and mumbled, caught off guard and unable to come up with a response, causing Astrid to snort in contempt.

"Gods, you're pathetic," Astrid stated, tossing the flowers right in Hiccup's face, causing the young man to flail at them in surprise as she rolled her eyes at him, "You're in an arranged marriage, you're marrying her regardless of what happens and yet you're throwing yourself at her. How desperate are you?"

Hiccup said nothing as Astrid scoffed again, turning and beginning to walk away.

"You know what? I've wasted enough time with you losers. I'm going home," she said before pausing a few feet away from Merida, who was still sitting on the ground, "Have fun rutting around with Hiccup the Useless, princess. Maybe you'll get lucky and you can add impotence to his list of failures."

Astrid turned to go, but held up a finger as if she remembered something she forgot and turned to look at Merida again.

"Before I forget," she stated, before pulling in her bottom lip, sucking on it and then spitting a blood filled loogie into Merida's face, "Thanks for the split lip."

Merida screeched in fury as she scrambled to her feet, trying to chase after Astrid as the other girl began to walk calmly back towards the village. Before she could get at the Viking girl however, Hiccup stepped between the two.

"Merida, stop!" Hiccup shouted, reaching up and barely catching Merida on the shoulders before she barreled into him.

"Get oot o' ma way!" Merida demanded, glaring at Astrid as she tried to claw past Hiccup, the other girl glancing over her shoulder and shooting Merida a smug smile.

"No, you have to stop!" Hiccup argued, barely holding onto the enraged princess, "All of this fighting isn't helping anyone!"

"Gods, whit kind of Viking are ye!?" Merida demanded, pushing Hiccup away from her.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked, ignoring her question and trying desperately to help, but Merida wasn't having any of it.

"Jist leave me alone!" Merida screamed at him, scooping up the remains of her bow and shoving past Hiccup, almost knocking him to the ground as she ran into the woods in the direction of the house. Hiccup looked in the direction she had gone with an utterly helpless expression before grabbing hold of Angus' reins and leading the horse behind him as he made his way home.

By the time Hiccup got there, Merida had already disappeared inside. Hiccup quickly led Angus into his stable, taking of his saddle and reins before rushing inside through the back door. He raced through the simple kitchen and through the living area before bounding up the stairs to the second floor. He found himself in a simple hallway, making his way past the doors leading into his father's and his rooms and coming to a stop before the entrance to what had become Merida's bedroom, the wooden door firmly shut before him. Hesitantly, he lifted his hand up and knocked on the door.

"Gae away!" Merida's muffled voice demanded from the other side of the door.

"I'm sorry, Merida," he said, "I don't really understand what happened to you back there with Astrid but I just want to help."

"Then help me by gaein' away!" Merida shouted back at him.

"Just open the door, Merida!" Hiccup shouted, surprising himself, "I just want to talk to you!"

Hiccup heard the stamping of feet before the door was thrown open and Merida stood before him, her blue eyes rimmed red from crying.

"Well, did it ever occur tae ye 'at maybe Ah daenae want tae talk tae ye!?" she screeched at him, leaning so close to his face that Hiccup was forced to take a step back, "Did it ever cross 'at thick Viking head o' yers 'at Ah daenae want a damned thing tae dae with ye!? Ye'd think 'at shootin' arras at someone wud send 'at message, but ye didnae really pick up on 'at one, did ye, Hiccup!?"

"I-I…" Hiccup mumbled, to caught by surprise to put an entire sentence together.

"Why daenae ye dae us both a favor an' drop th' act, it's nae foolin' anyone," she growled, "Ye must really think Ah'm stupid if ye think Ah daenae see whit ye're daein'. But Ah dae, Hiccup, Ah see whit ye're daein', tryin' tae act all nice an' friendly sae this whole stupid marriage thing can gae along smoothly. Oh, fer sure, it's real noble o' ye, tryin' tae encourage peace like 'at, but all it's really doin' is makin' ye look like a damned bloody idiot! Sae jist stop it, because deep down, Ah know ye're exactly like every other Viking on this damned island! Sae let's jist be honest with each other from now on. Ah know ye hate me Hiccup, ye and yer entire stinking tribe. Well, guess whit? Ah hate ye too!"

With that, she slammed the door in the stunned Hiccup's face, never even allowing him to say another word to her. Hiccup stood their shocked for a few moments, before he seemed to recover and his expression was replaced with one of sadness. Sighing, he lightly hit his head against the wooden door, looking gloomily at his feet.

"I…I don't hate you," he whispered, finally finding his voice, but unable to raise it loud enough for her to hear.

Slowly, Hiccup backed away from the door. As he did, he felt something brush against his hand against something. Glancing down, he saw that one of the blue flowers had clung to the fur of his vest. Pulling it out, Hiccup looked at it for a few moments before his expression turned to one of frustration as he balled his hand into a fist, crushing the floor before throwing it against the wall, the petals bursting off of it and floating to the floor. Hiccup watched them for a moment before turning and running into his room, slamming the door behind him and flinging himself face-first onto his bed, falling into a fitful sleep as the sounds of Merida's sobbing echoed from the room next door.

A/N: Interesting chapter to write here. I've had this scene stuck in my head for a while now so it felt good to finally get to write it all down. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. As always critiques and feedback is always welcome so please review! Later!


	8. Enough

**Chapter 8: Enough**

A grey, overcast sky hung over the island of Berk, the clouds churning and fat with rain. A cold breeze blew over the Viking settlement, chilling the inhabitants on the early spring day. This was the day that greeted Hiccup as he groggily opened his green eyes, the weak grey light coming in through his window, more darkening his room with shadow then illuminating it. Sighing, the young Viking sat up in his bed, looking out the window for a few long moments, his thoughts matching gloomy nature of the weather.

Moving so his feet hung off the side of the bed, Hiccup's mind shifted to the memories of last night. Finding Astrid and Merida fighting. Astrid mocking him. Merida screaming at him. The damned flower. The young man sighed again, running a hand through his auburn hair. This isn't how he had wanted things to go at all, but as usual, it seemed like it didn't matter what he wanted.

Remembering that he had somewhere to be, Hiccup pushed himself to his feet. Looking down at himself, he realized that he had slept in his clothes, boots and all. Unable to work up neither the energy nor the desire to change his clothing, Hiccup shrugged his shoulders before making his way out of his room, practically dragging his feet as he did.

Glancing to the side as his bedroom door closed behind him, Hiccup noticed that Merida's door hung open. He heard no signs of movement inside, so he guessed that the princess had already gotten up before fleeing to the woods. It would be pure luck if he saw her at all that day. Perhaps that was for the best.

Slowly, Hiccup's eyes panned down to the floor, seeing where the petals from the flower had floated to ground the night before, noticing that they had hardly been disturbed from where he had last seen them. He felt a wave of melancholy wash over him as he turned away from the wilted petals before trudging down the stairs and out the door, making his way down the hill towards the center of the village, and more specifically, Gobber's smithy.

Hiccup made his way quietly through the village, making his way past the other men and women going about their morning rituals. Nobody bothered him as he walked his usual route almost mindlessly, his thoughts replaying the night's events over and over again. He shook his head as he turned a corner and the smithy came into sight. Today was a new day. Sure, it had started kind of crummy but that had just been holdover from the night before. Today was going to be a better day.

"Hey cuz!" Snotlout's grating voice floated in from behind him, "Heard you had a rough night!"

Or perhaps it was going to be even worse.

"What do you want, Snotlout?" Hiccup asked grumpily as he glanced over his shoulder, seeing his cousin trotting up behind him, Tuffnut right with him while Fishlegs trailed apprehensively behind, "Don't you have chores or something to do?"

"What, I can't hang out with my favorite cousin?" Snotlout asked mockingly as he slowed to match Hiccup's pace on the young man's right side, Tuffnut taking up a position on Hiccup's left while Fishlegs continued to trail behind.

"I'm your only cousin," Hiccup pointed out sourly, keeping his eyes focused forward as they continued to approach the smithy. Looking up, Hiccup noticed there was no smoke coming out of the smithy's large chimney, meaning that he had beat Gobber there, a revelation that did not brighten the Viking's mood.

"Details," Snotlout replied, waving his hand dismissively, "Anyway, I heard your so-called betrothed had a bit of a scuffle with Astrid last night."

"By that he means Astrid kicked her little princess ass," Tuffnut spoke up with a sneer that caused Hiccup's muscles to tighten up in annoyance.

"Who told you that?" Hiccup questioned, not looking at either of the Viking teens.

"Astrid," Snotlout replied with a sneer of his own, "We ran into her a little while ago."

"And I bet you couldn't wait to come and talk to me about it, huh?" Hiccup questioned, still not looking at the other teens as they approached the smithy.

"Why would you think that, cuz?" Snotlout questioned, though he clearly knew the answer.

"Maybe it was that other thing that Astrid told us about," Tuffnut provided helpfully, still sneering at Hiccup.

"Oh right, about how you were going to bring the Highland brat flowers, apparently trying to woo the girl that you're already getting married to like the pathetic loser that you are?" Snotlout asked as he leaned against one of the smithy's doorpost, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Or maybe it was how half the village heard her cuss you out not too long afterwards?" Tuffnut added mimicking Snotlout's position on the other doorpost, causing Hiccup to freeze as he reached for the door handle. For the first time, Hiccup looked at the two Viking teens, seeing both of them looking at him with self-satisfied grins. Hiccup then took the time to look over his shoulder at Fishlegs, the other young man seeming to wilt under Hiccup's gaze.

"You got anything to add?" Hiccup questioned darkly.

"I um…well you see…I…" Fishlegs mumbled before trailing off, his eyes falling to the ground as he kicked at the dirt awkwardly.

"I didn't think so," Hiccup stated before grabbing the handle of the smithy door, and looking at Tuffnut and Snotlout, "I have work to do."

With that, Hiccup entered the shop and closed the door behind him. Through the heavy wood, Hiccup could hear Snotlout let out a groan while the apprentice blacksmith hung up his vest and put on his apron.

"Honestly Fishlegs, why do we even hang out with you?" Snotlout admonished as Hiccup reignited the furnace and the brazier by the anvil, pumping hard on the bellows to get the flames going, "You're almost as bad as he is!"

With that, silence fell over the smithy as Hiccup took out the sword he had been working on the night before and plunged it into the hot coals inside the brazier, waiting for it to heat up so he could continue work on it some more. Hiccup hoped that was the end of it.

"But I mean really, flowers!?" Snotlout asked incredulously as he flung the door open and stepped in, Tuffnut and Fishlegs following behind him, "I mean, what are you, five?"

Hiccup growled in frustration as he wrapped his hands around a hammer so tight that his knuckles turned white. Hiccup pointedly ignored Snotlout as he grabbed the handle of the sword and pulled it out of the burning coals, the tip of the blade glowing red with heat, before placing it on the anvil.

"Not that it really would have mattered what you gave her," Snotlout continued, walking over to Hiccup and leaning against the anvil while the young man began to hit the molten blade with his hammer, the sharp dinging of iron striking iron echoing through the shop as small sparks shot off the blade, "You could have brought her a Night Fury's head and it wouldn't have changed the fact that she hates her worthless guts."

Hiccup's green eyes narrowed and his face scrunched in fury as he continued to beat the metal, his swings coming harder, sending more sparks flying. Snotlout's smile grew as he saw the rise he got out of his cousin, Tuffnut chuckling as he looked over some finished swords that were hanging from the racks. Fishlegs meanwhile hovered nervously by the door, glancing occasionally outside.

"Guys?" he spoke up nervously, "I don't think we should be here."

"Oh, grow a backbone, would you?" Snotlout shot at the larger boy, causing Fishlegs to flinch away. Snotlout rolled his eyes and shook his head before turning his attention back to Hiccup.

"Now, what was I talking about again?" Snotlout asked mockingly, scratching his chin for a moment before snapping his fingers and smiling at Hiccup, "Oh right! How much of a loser you are!"

Hiccup growled lowly as he sped up the tempo of his swings, the dinging of hammer striking sword growing louder and louder.

"I mean come on, cuz. You couldn't have really thought that if it weren't for this whole arranged marriage thing that you'd actually have a shot with someone like her," Snotlout stated mockingly, "I mean look at her! And look at you. Wouldn't have worked in a million years and she knows it. She wouldn't even give you the time of day if you weren't going to marry her. And hell, even that's a pretty big if at this point."

Hiccup's face grew into a full on snarl as he angrily beat on the sword, sparks flying in every direction as the blade began to bend out of shape, the Viking teen losing all focus in his anger.

"Let's face it, she hates us Vikings, especially you, but maybe she just needs the right man to bring her around," Snotlout explained, smiling wickedly at Hiccup, "You know, a man like me. I mean, I'm your cousin, so I've got standing, and let's face it, I'm way more of a Viking then you."

The sword had bent completely out of shape as Hiccup visibly seethed, his swings wild, hitting the anvil more often than the blade now.

"So when your dad and her dad finally wise up and betroth her to me, well, then we can really get to know each other, if you know what I mean," Snotlout continued, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively as he sneered at Hiccup, "And then I can show her how a real Viking man treats a woman."

"SHUT UP!" Hiccup roared, whirling to face Snotlout and shouting in the other boy's face. Tuffnut spun around to face them, his eyes wide with surprise while Fishlegs jumped back, almost tripping over the threshold of the door and falling out of the smithy. Snotlout pulled his head back in surprise before recovering and smiling at Hiccup.

"Looks like I hit a nerve," he stated as he smirked at Hiccup again, "What's the matter, runt? Don't like me talking about your little crush like that? Well then you're going to hate it when she's screaming my name as I f-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Hiccup bellowed as he swung his hammer around and struck Snotlout hard across the chin with the iron head, the force of the blow swinging the young Viking around and sending him stumbling away. Tuffnut and Fishlegs looked on in shock as Snotlout cried out in pain, holding his chin with one hand and catching himself on a work table with the other.

"You little jerk! I'm going to-" Snotlout began as he turned around but was interrupted as Hiccup rushed him and struck him hard on the shoulder with the hammer, causing the young man to let out a squeal of pain.

"You're always running your godsdamned mouth like you're the toughest thing to ever walk this island but I know you're nothing but a snotnosed punk!" Hiccup raged as he continued to assault Snotlout, punctuating every sentence with another blow to the shoulder from his hammer, "So why don't you do us all a favor and! SHUT! THE! HEL! UP!"

Snotlout wailed as he reeled from Hiccup's attack, the other boy finishing by kicking Snotlout in the chest, sending him falling to the group where he writhed in pain, clutching his shoulder.

"Hey!" Tuffnut shouted as he moved towards Hiccup and reached out to grab him. Before he could though, Hiccup whirled around, let out a cry of utter rage and hurled the hammer right at Tuffnut, striking the blonde square on his nose with a loud crack.

"Oh, I am hurt!" Tuffnut shouted, reeling back and cupping his nose with his hands, blood already beginning to pour down his face, "I am very much hurt."

"You stupid little bastard!" Snotlout roared, pulling himself to his feet and grabbing a fire poker with good arm, "I'm going to-"

Snotlout was cut off for a third time as he was hoisted off his feet by the scruff of his shirt before finding himself looking into the very angry eyes of Gobber the Belch.

"Ye're goin' tae whit?" Gobber growled, his eyes narrowing.

"I-I-I…" Snotlout stammered, dropping the fire poker as he searched for words.

"Nae answer? Fine, Ah'm goin' tae tell ye whit ye're goin' tae dae then," Gobber stated gruffly, "Ye an' yer wee friends are goin' tae leave ma shop, an' ye're nae goin' tae come back in unless Ah say ye can. If Ah find ye inside ma smithy without ma permission then Ah'm goin' tae dae much worse tae ye lot then a broken nose an' a bruised shoulder."

"You can't do that!" Snotlout shouted, suddenly indignant, "Do you know who I am!?"

"O' course Ah know who ye are, ye bleedin' imbecile!" Gobber snapped back at him, "An' Ah know who yer father is too! Sae if ye think either o' those names are goin' tae intimidate me, well, ye've got another thing comin'!"

"I'll make you pay for this you stupid half-" Snotlout began to shout but was stopped when Gobber held up his missing hand, revealing he was currently wearing a prosthetic that ended in a wicked looking hook.

"Ye breathe another word an' Ah'll pull yer tongue out with a pair o' my tongs an' show it tae ye, understand?" Gobber growled, earning a frightened nod from Snotlout, "Good. Now tae reiterate th' point ma apprentice made. Get out o' ma bloody shop!"

With that, Gobber dropped Snotlout to the ground before giving the boy a sharp kick in the rear that sent him tumbling out the door, where Fishlegs has scurried right after Gobber had entered the smithy. Tuffnut quickly ran after them, holding his bleeding nose with one hand as he helped Snotlout to his feet with the other.

"This isn't the last of this!" Snotlout shouted.

"Is 'at a threat!?" Gobber demanded as he hobbled hurriedly out the door towards Snotlout and the others, grabbing a hatchet off the rack as he did and brandishing it threateningly, "Is 'at a threat!?"

Seeing the angry Viking approaching them with a weapon raised, the three teens quickly turned and ran in the opposite direction as fast as their legs could carry them.

"At's right, ye little punk!" Gobber shouted as he shook the hatchet threateningly after the three young men, "Gae tell yer father about 'at ane!"

Glancing around, Gobber noticed a number of adults looking at him with confused expressions. Scratching his nose awkwardly, Gobber turned and hobbled back into his smithy, slamming the door behind him. Gobber paused for a moment, before sighing as he hung the hatchet back up on the wall. lookingaround, he found Hiccup leaning against his workbench, his breathing calm but his face set into an angry glare.

"Ye alright, lad?" Gobber asked.

"Am I alright?" Hiccup asked incredulously, "Am I alright!? Do I look like I'm alright!?"

"Um…nae," Gobber replied awkwardly, taken aback by his apprentice's anger, "Nae, if Ah had tae say, Ah'd say ye seemed rather upset."

"You're damn right I'm upset!" Hiccup shouted, "I'm sick of everyone in this village giving me crap!"

Roaring in frustration, Hiccup spun around and shook the bench, rattling the tools sitting on top of it.

"Every day, it's the same thing!" Hiccup ranted, resting his hands on the top of the workbench and glaring down at it, "You're so pathetic, Hiccup! Why can't you be more like a real Viking, Hiccup!? Your father must be so disappointed, Hiccup! Why are you so useless Hiccup!?"

"Day in and day out, that's all I hear!" Hiccup continued, calming slightly, "Runt! Pathetic! Loser! Useless! That's what everyone calls me! My cousin. My father."

Hiccup turned to glare at Gobber, a hurt expression on his face.

"You."

"Me?" Gobber asked, pointing at himself and blinking in surprise, "Whit did Ah dae?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me, Gobber!" Hiccup shouted, rounding on his blacksmith master, "I see you chatting with the others! I hear you having a laugh at my expense! Gods, you act like you don't pick me apart every single day!"

"Whit are ye talkin' aboot, Hiccup?" Gobber questioned, throwing his hands into the air in confusion.

"What am I talking about?" Hiccup asked incredulously, before suddenly slipping into an impression of Gobber's accent, "Whit am Ah talkin' aboot? Och, Hiccup ye're far too scrawny tae be carryin' those swords around. Hiccup, Ah cannae let ye out there tae help with th' dragon attack, because ye might dae more damage than th' dragons! Hey, cheer up, lad, at least this way ya can actually help th' village fer a change. Ya know, unless th' Bear King chops yer head off fer bein' too weak an' pathetic fer his daughter an' restarts th' war!"

Grabbing a sketchbook off the table, Hiccup whirled around and hurled it at Gobber with an angry growl, the object bouncing ineffectually off of the large Viking's chest. Gobber looked down and scratched his chest where the book had hit him, before looking back up at Hiccup, the young man still glaring at him.

"And now, finally, something good comes along!" Hiccup ranted, "I find a way to help the village. To prove to everyone that I'm useful, that I have reason to be here, and all I have to do is marry the prettiest girl I have ever seen. Someone new who won't immediately look at me like I'm some kind of waste of space!"

Hiccup paused for a moment to catch his breath, his chest heaving as Gobber watched him in shock.

"I could tell she started to like me to some degree," Hiccup continued after a moment, calmer but his anger clearly rising again, "When it was just me and her, when there wasn't any kind of conflict or pressure on her, she would open up. I saw her smile. I heard her laugh. And then you all came and ruined it!"

Letting out a shout of frustration, Hiccup spun around and slammed his fists against the table with a loud bang. He hissed in pain as he opened his hands, his palms shaking with combined pain and anger.

"I just wanted someone who saw me for me. Not as Hiccup the Useless," Hiccup sighed as he slumped onto the stool in front of the table, leaning his elbows on the tabletop and hanging his head, "Is that so much to ask?"

Gobber observed Hiccup sadly, the young man looking like he was barely holding it together. Guilt ate at the pit of his stomach as the blacksmith thought about what Hiccup had said, specifically what the young man had said about him. Gobber thought about all the times he had made fun of Hiccup, both to the boy's face and behind his back. He couldn't believe he never realized how cruel he was being until now, especially with his own history with the people of village. This was a young man who everyone else shunned, who spent more time with the blacksmith than his own father. Gobber was the person Hiccup looked to for guidance. And Gobber had thrown that trust back in Hiccup's face. The Viking wasn't sure he had ever felt so low.

"Ye're right, lad," Gobber admitted with a sad sigh, "Th' village hasnae ever given ye a break an' Ah haenae always given ye th' best o' support."

Hiccup scoffed, shaking his head and waving a hand dismissively at the blacksmith. Gobber rolled his eyes while he sighed again.

"Fine, Ah ne'er really give ye th' best support," Gobber admitted, reaching up and scratching the back of his head awkwardly, "an' Ah'm sorry fer 'at."

Gobber paused as he watched Hiccup, the young man seeming to think over what the blacksmith had said. Slowly, Hiccup turned to look at Gobber, a hesitant look on his face.

"You are?" Hiccup questioned.

"Ah am," Gobber admitted with a small smile, hobbling over to Hiccup's side and placing his good hand on the young boy's shoulder, "Ah haenae done right by ye, an' Ah aim tae change 'at. Ye shouldnae hae tae worry aboot somethin' like 'at here."

"Thanks, Gobber," Hiccup replied, smiling up at the blacksmith master.

"Nae problem," Gobber replied, before pausing for a moment, "'At was a really good imitation by th' way."

"Thanks, I've been hearing it a lot lately," Hiccup explained with a chuckle.

"Ah take it all 'at had tae dae with th' princess?" Gobber surmised, his voice turning solemn.

"Yeah," Hiccup replied, his smile fading into a frown.

"Whit happened?" Gobber asked, taking a seat on a stool next to Hiccup.

"Last night, when I was bringing Merida back home after the dragon attack, we had to go and find her horse, Angus. We split up, and while I found the horse, she found…something else," Hiccup explained.

"Whit did she find?" Gobber questioned.

"Astrid," Hiccup stated, his eyes unfocused as he flashed back to the scene from the night before his eyes, "I'm not entirely sure what they were fighting about but when I stumbled on to them they were really at each other's throats. Astrid had a knife and if I hadn't come upon them when I did…well I don't know what would have happened."

"There are a lot o' auld wounds from our war with th' Highlands," Gobber explained, "Doesnae surprise me 'at th' princess bein' here opened some o' them. Still, Astrid should know better, Ah'll hae tae talk tae her mother."

"I guess that could help," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "That's not really what I'm having a problem with."

"Oh? Whit is then?" Gobber questioned.

"Afterwards, Merida was pretty upset. I tried to help her, but she just…exploded at me. She told me that she thought all of the nice stuff I was trying to do for her was an act. That I was just trying to be diplomatic. That I hated her just like everyone else in the village," Hiccup trailed off, his expression growing sadder, "That she hated me."

"Ah'm sorry, lad," Gobber said, squeezing Hiccup's shoulder to reassure him, "Sometimes these things daenae work oot."

"You don't get it, do you?" Hiccup asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice as he looked at Gobber out of the corner of his eye.

"Um…Ah guess Ah daenae," Gobber replied with confusion, pulling his hand back, "Care tae explain it tae me?"

"The only reason she hates me is because everyone in the village has been so hostile towards her since she came here and she thinks I'm just like them," Hiccup explained.

"Probably th' only ane on th' whole island who thinks ye're jist like everyone else in th' village," Gobber commented with a chuckle but quickly bit his tongue when he noticed Hiccup glaring at him, "Sorry."

"Anyway, if I could make her see that I'm not like everyone else, then maybe she would actually give me a chance," Hiccup explained, his voice hopeful.

"Aye, Ah suppose 'at wud work," Gobber agreed with a nod, scratching the back of his head as he thought "But haenae ye already been disproportionately nice tae her? Ah mean, nae offence but it doesnae seem like it's workin'."

"I know," Hiccup groaned, placing his face in his hands as he leaned against the table, "I need to think of some big gesture. Something that, if I pull it off, when she sees it she'll realize that I'm not lying to her. That I really do like her."

"Aye, but whit kind o' big gesture cud yae dae?" Gobber questioned, shrugging his shoulders, "It's nae like ye cud throw her a party or anythin'."

"That's it!" Hiccup exclaimed, sitting up straight and slamming his hands against the table, startling Gobber as the young man spun around in his seat to face him, "Gobber, you're a genius! I'll throw her a party! A birthday party!"

"Aye, aye, 'at wud work," Gobber replied with a nod, before a thought occurred to him, "When's her birthday?"

"I have no idea!" Hiccup replied, his enthusiasm undiminished as he hopped to his feet, grabbing a pad of paper and a charcoal pencil from the desk, "But I know who does!"

"Who?" Gobber questioned, turning in his seat to follow Hiccup as the young man made his way towards the door.

"Merida's mother, Queen Elinor," Hiccup explained, as he pulled open the door, "Me and her are on pretty good terms."

"How are ye goin' tae ask her?" Gobber questioned, standing up and following Hiccup.

"Well, we had that pigeon coop installed so we could communicate with the Highlanders, didn't we?" Hiccup said as he stepped out of the door, walking backwards so he could continue talking to Gobber, "So far, I'm pretty sure only Merida's used them. No point in letting them sit there."

"Aye, an' it will give Bucket somethin' tae dae too," Gobber agreed with a nod, leaning against the doorframe as he watched his apprentice go.

"We put Bucket in charge of the pigeons?" Hiccup questioned, pausing as he asked.

"Aye, he liked th' birds an' it's not 'at hard o' a job," Gobber explained with a shrug, "Whit are ye goin' tae dae if her birthday's already passed?"

"I'm just going to pray to any god that will listen that it hasn't!" Hiccup called as he began to jog away, "Oh, by the way, I may have kind of, maybe, totally, utterly ruined that sword I was working on. Sorry about that!"

Gobber raised his eyebrow in confusion before turning around and catching a glimpse of the bent sword sitting on the anvil. Gobber sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes as he realized there was still a lot of work to be done that would have gone faster with his apprentice's help. He quickly decided that it wasn't worth the effort to go chasing after Hiccup. Besides, with everything he had gone through, he could use a little time off. Shaking his head and smiling to himself, Gobber reentered the smithy, closing the door behind him.

Hiccup quickly made his way through the village, writing on his notepad while heading up one of the steep cliff sides that rose above the buildings. Reaching the top, he found the simple set up that Vikings had provided for the messenger pigeons. A simple wooden pigeon coop sat near the cliff edge, housing the dozen birds that were cooing animatedly to one another. Sitting next to the coop on a wooden stool was a large blonde Viking with what looked like an iron bucket attached to the top of his head. He fed the birds seeds and chunks of bread and every so often would coo along with them.

"Morning, Bucket," Hiccup greeted with an amused smirk.

"Oh, morning, Hiccup!" the big man called, a goofy grin on his face as the young Viking approached him waving at Hiccup with the hook that replaced his right hand. Hiccup always had a soft spot for Bucket, as Bucket seemed to have a soft spot for him. Granted, Bucket seemed to have a soft spot for just about everyone, the injury that he had received which fused his namesake to his head having also seemed to dim his intelligence and mellow his moods. All in all, Bucket was too simple to purposefully insult someone, which meant that Hiccup never received any form of verbal abuse from the blonde Viking, though that didn't mean Bucket never joined in on laughter at Hiccup's expense but Hiccup figured that Bucket just liked to laugh, even if he didn't really get the joke.

"Giving up on fishing?" Hiccup questioned as he made his way over to the pigeon coop, "Don't think Mulch would be too happy about that."

"He wasn't," Bucket replied glumly, shaking his head, "But there aren't many storms back here. Also, I like the pretty birds, much nicer than stinky, old fish. Sometimes I still go fishing, but I like the birds more."

"I can understand that," Hiccup agreed, "I guess you don't get many people up here."

"No, not many," Bucket stated, shaking his head again, causing his long blonde beard to wave about in the wind, "Just Merry mostly."

"Merry?" Hiccup questioned, confused.

"Girl with all the curly red hair," Bucket explained, holding his hand up to his head and wiggling his fingers in an attempt to give Hiccup a visual reference, "She talks funny, like Gobber."

"Oh, you mean Merida," Hiccup replied with a chuckle, "Yeah, I guess she'd come up here often."

"Yeah," Bucket agreed with a nod, "Lots of writings that the birds need to take across the sea."

"Right," Hiccup said with a nod of his own "Speaking of which, I also need to send a letter to the same place that uh, Merry sends them."

"Well, Merry sends them to two places," Bucket explained.

"Two places?" Hiccup questioned, raising an eyebrow at Bucket.

"Yeah, one that way," Bucket elaborated, standing up and pointing towards the west, before turning and pointing south, "And one that way."

"Why does she have two places she sends letters?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, she says that her family lives over there," Bucket explained, indicating west, before pointing south again, "And over there is her friend Rep..Punz…Perunz…"

"Whoa, don't hurt yourself Bucket," Hiccup said, holding up his hands to stop the tall Viking who was visibly struggling to pronounce the name, "I think I understand."

"Sorry," Bucket apologized, "She has a strange name."

"It's alright," Hiccup replied, before holding up the letter he had written, "Anyway, I need to send this letter sent to Merry's family, okay?"

"Alright," Bucket replied, nodding his head, before turning to the coop and opening one of the doors, reaching in and gently pulling out a grey pigeon, "This bird knows the way. He's a smart bird."

"I'm sure he is," Hiccup agreed, rolling up the paper and helping Bucket tie it to the bird's leg. Seeing it was secured, Bucket released the bird, which fluttered into the sky before flying west, disappearing from view.

"How long will it take for the bird to get back?" Hiccup questioned.

"A few days," Bucket replied with a shrug.

"Alright, I'll see you later then, Bucket," Hiccup stated with a wave as he turned to go, pausing as he thought of something, "By the way, don't say anything about this to Merry. It's a secret, okay Bucket?"

"Okay," Bucket replied, bringing his finger up to his mouth in a shushing motion, "Secret."

"You got it," Hiccup replied, mimicking the motion as he made his way back down the cliff while Bucket returned to his seat and began playing with the birds again.

_A few days later,_

Hiccup made his way up the winding pathways of the cliff to check with Bucket again, as he had done the past few days. He realized that he was being overeager, that he should give the bird more time to get to the Highlands and back, but he needed to hear the queen's response if he was going to go through with his plan. The setting sun hung over the cliff, casting a long shadow as the sun colored the sky orange and purple. Hiccup had hardly seen Merida over the past few days, the princess avoiding everyone in the village the best she could, only appearing in the house for meals in the morning or the evening and pointedly not talking to either Hiccup or his father during those times. It still depressed him that any sort of relationship he had with Merida had collapsed so thoroughly in so short of a time but if his plan worked, then all of that would change.

"Hey, uh, Hiccup?" a familiar voice said from behind Hiccup, causing him to pause and turn around, surprised to find Fishlegs standing not far away, looking nervously at the ground, "Can I talk to you?"

"Where are Snotlout and Tuffnut?" Hiccup questioned, instantly on edge.

"They're not here," Fishlegs explained, "I haven't really been hanging out with them lately."

"That's surprising," Hiccup stated indignantly, his anger rising, "Seems like the last few years you guys have been inseparable."

"Hiccup, I-" Fishlegs started to say, but Hiccup cut him off.

"You know what, whatever it is you wanted to say, Fishlegs. Save it. I don't want to hear it," Hiccup said before turning and stomping away, "I've got better things to do then waste time talking to you."

"Hiccup, wait up!" Fishlegs called after Hiccup, holding an arm outstretched as he ran after the young man, "I just want to talk."

"Oh, now you want to talk!?" Hiccup shouted, whirling around to face Fishlegs, startling the larger boy so badly that he almost fell backwards, "After how many years of ignoring me!?"

"I just wanted-" Fishlegs began, but Hiccup cut him off again.

"Wanted what!?" Hiccup yelled, causing Fishlegs to take a step away from him, "Wanted to be one of the cool guys!? Well, I guess you couldn't do that if you were hanging out with Hiccup the Useless, now could you!?"

Fishlegs didn't say anything as he casted his eyes to the dusty ground at his feet.

"Don't you get it, Fishlegs!? You were my best friend when we we're little," Hiccup trailed off as he continued to glare at Fishlegs, "You were my only friend. And then one day, you were gone. Hanging out with Snotlout of all people and refusing to even talk to me. You even helped them beat me up from time to time."

"I didn't do anything like that!" Fishlegs exclaimed.

"Yeah, you're right," Hiccup agreed, "You didn't do anything. You just stood there and watched."

"I know," Fishlegs replied sadly, "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry!?" Hiccup said with a laugh, "You think it's that simple? You say you're sorry and I just forgive you and we pretend nothing happened? Do you really think I'm that stupid? I know what's happening. This is all some set up so that Snotlout can humiliate me again."

"This isn't anything like that, I promise," Fishlegs replied, holding his hands up pleadingly.

"And why should I believe you?" Hiccup demanded.

"Because I just got in a big fight with Snotlout," Fishlegs explained, "I was sick of the way he treated you, especially a few days ago. I was sick of the way he was treating me too. So, I told him off, and he hit me."

Fishlegs rolled up his sleeve, revealing an ugly looking bruise on his right arm which seemed to throb with pain.

"Wow, that looks like it hurts," Hiccup commented sympathetically, all traces of anger leaving him, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Fishlegs replied, hissing in pain as he rolled his sleeve back down, "You should see what I did to him. Seriously, if that didn't convince you then the new shiner that Snotlout will be sporting for the next few days will."

Hiccup blinked in surprise as he thought over the information he had just received.

"Why the change all of a sudden?" Hiccup questioned, "None of this seemed to have bothered you the past few years."

"I don't know, its partially been building up all of these years, but I also saw how happy and hopeful you became over this whole betrothal thing, and seeing Snotlout trying his hardest to wreck it, that really bugged me," Fishlegs explained, looking away from Hiccup again, "A lot."

"Well thanks, I guess," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "You didn't have to do that."

"Like I said, I didn't really do it just for you," Fishlegs said, rubbing his sore arm gingerly, "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss hanging out with you."

"Yeah," Hiccup stated, chuckling to himself, "Remember that time we tried to practice dragon slaying and captured that Terrible Terror?"

"And we brought it back to your house and it got loose?" Fishlegs continued, groaning as he laughed, "I thought your dad was going to kill us."

"He almost did when it set my bed on fire," Hiccup replied, laughing as well. The two laughed at the memory for a few moments before looking at each other, smirks on their face.

"Hey, you think you could come help me out with something?" Hiccup asked, gesturing up the path to where Bucket and the pigeon coop were.

"Yeah sure," Fishlegs replied with a smile, falling into step besides Hiccup as the two made their way up the cliff. As they went, Hiccup explained to Fishlegs his current situation with Merida and what he was planning to do for her.

"So, you're hoping that her birthday wasn't like a month or so ago?" Fishlegs questioned as they walked towards the pigeon coop where Bucket was feeding the birds.

"Basically," Hiccup replied with a shrug before turning his attention to Bucket, "Hey Bucket, did that bird come in today?"

"Oh, hello Hiccup, hello Fishlegs, yes, the bird came just a little while ago," Bucket said, reaching into his pocket and pulled out a rolled up length of parchment, "He had this with him."

"Awesome," Hiccup said as he reach out and took the parchment from Bucket, quickly unraveling it and reading over Queen Elinor's elegant handwriting, Fishlegs peeking over his shoulder. As he read, a smile grew over Hiccup's face before he threw his hands into the air and whooped for joy.

"Her birthday is in a few weeks!" Hiccup exclaimed joyously.

"That's great!" Fishlegs said happily.

"I love birthdays!" Bucket added, "Especially my own."

The two boys chuckled at Bucket before turning to face each other.

"So what's the plan now?" Fishlegs asked.

"Now I have to get working on putting the whole thing together," Hiccup explained, "A few weeks isn't a lot of time to plan and get everything I need."

"I can help," Fishlegs offered, smiling at Hiccup

"You want to help?" Hiccup questioned, smirking at Fishlegs.

"Sure, it'll be fun," Fishlegs replied, holding his fist out in front of Hiccup "Like old times."

"Yeah," Hiccup chuckled, knocking his fist against Fishlegs' "Like old times."

"Can I help?" Bucket asked.

"Yeah, you can," Hiccup answered as he pulled out a notepad and a charcoal pencil, "I'm actually going to need to send another letter."

"You can't do that right now, Hiccup," Bucket said, "The bird needs a nap."

"That's alright, I don't need the bird that goes west," Hiccup explained, starting to write his letter as he smirked at Bucket, "I need the one going south."

A/N: It seems more and more like these chapters get away from me with their lengths. Still, can't complain because I love giving you guys longer chapters. Hope you enjoy it! I wanted to do a couple of quick shout outs. First is to Frostymaggie/Maggie296 who made the first ever fanart I've ever had for one of my stories. Go check it out and show her some love! frostymaggie*tumblr*com/post/44637798678. Also wanted to thank all of you who have been leaving reviews as guests or at least have your private massagers turned off, seeing as I can't thank you individually. You guys rock! Thanks again and as per usual, critiques and feedback is always welcome, so please review! Later!


	9. Preparation

A/N: Thanks to all of those who have been reviewing either anonymously or as guests. I saw that a lot of you were excited about Rapunzel's appearance in this chapter, so I felt the need to point out that she won't be a big part of this story, and she is as she appears after my other story, Heaven's Light, just to clear up any confusion. Thanks for reading and enjoy the chapter!

**Chapter 9: Preparation**

Far to the south of Berk sat another island, much smaller and much closer to the mainland, connected to it by a small stone bridge. The island was completely covered with the urban sprawl of a city. Small stone and wood houses were closely packed together, connected by cobblestone streets. The island, like many others, rose like a hill coming out of the placid blue bay that it sat in, giving the city an incline as it approached the center.

At the center of the island, and therefore, the city, sat a mighty castle. The castle was made of white stone that reflected the sunlight so well the whole structure seemed to glow. Tall towers and spires reached up towards the bright sky, with flags depicting a golden sun on a purple field fluttering in the breeze.

Within one of the many chambers that made up the castle's interior was a library. The library looked out onto the castle grounds and the city beyond through massive glass windows that faced towards the rising sun. Each of the other walls was lined with shelves upon shelves of books, differing in incalculable ways from age to thickness to color and even to language. The only thing that broke up the shelves the stretched from the red carpeted floor to the white plastered ceiling was a fireplace in the western wall and an ornate wooden door in the southern one.

The library was almost completely unoccupied except for a lone person sitting in a plush purple chair near the center of the room. She was young, no older than twenty, with delicate, fair features, and a slim, lithe build. She wore a silken, light purple dress while a silver, bejeweled tiara sat upon her head. She absentmindedly brushed one of her chocolate brown locks that had come lose from her long braid behind her ear as she continued to read her book.

A knock came from the door, causing the young woman to look up from the book.

"Princess?" a man asked as he stuck his head in through the doors, "Princess Rapunzel, are you in here?"

"Yes," she said, giving the man a wide smile, "Please, come in."

The man quickly entered, bowing as he did. Rapunzel noted the man wore the uniform of a royal messenger and what appeared to be pigeon feathers clung to his clothes here and there.

"Another message arrived from Berk for you this morning," the messenger explains, holding up a rolled up piece of parchment as proof.

"Another one?" Rapunzel asked confused as she marked her place in her book, closed it and set it aside, "Already? Merida just sent me a message."

"I know, milady," the messenger replied, handing the message over to Rapunzel, "But, if I may say, this message does not resemble those written by Princess Merida."

Intrigued, Rapunzel unraveled the parchment, narrowing her emerald eyes as she scanned over it. After a moment, Rapunzel turned the parchment over as if she had been reading it upside-down, but her expression only grew more confused as she looked it over further.

"Is there something wrong, milady?" the messenger asked.

"Um, this seems to be written in runes," Rapunzel explained, an embarrassed look on her face, "I can't read runes."

"I see, a dilemma to be sure," the messenger replied, "I am also unfamiliar with the runic form of writing, but I do believe that there is a book on such a system here in the royal library."

"Oh, that would be good!" Rapunzel exclaimed, beaming at the messenger, "Do you know where it is?"

"I believe it is that one, right there," the messenger replied, indicating to an old, brown, leather bound tome sitting on a shelf against the north wall.

"Thank you!" Rapunzel thanked the messenger with a smile, who bowed in return before leaving. As the door closed behind him, Rapunzel got up from her seat and made her way over to the northern wall, her bare feet brushing quietly across the carpet. Reaching up, she pulled the heavy tome from the shelf before bringing it over to a table which she sat it upon. Pulling a chair over, Rapunzel sat in it and opened the book, coughing briefly on the musty air that came from it. Recovering, Rapunzel lay the note next to book, before grabbing another piece of parchment along with a feather pen and ink well before she began the process of translating the message.

Hours passed and the sun slowly crawled across the sky as Rapunzel translated the message. She knew it would have been easier to just ask for help, there was probably a royal translator who could have told her what was written in the message in minutes, but Rapunzel was nothing if not eager to learn new things. Plus, she had a feeling that whatever was in this message was personal, and she didn't want anyone else privy to its contents.

Rapunzel felt her heart drop as she remembered the contents of Merida's last letter; how it detailed the abuse her friend seemed to be suffering at the hands of the Vikings, especially that awful sounding girl, Astrid. She needed to know why someone had sent her a message in Runic, and she needed to know soon.

The sun was beginning to set when someone entered the library. Turning to look, Rapunzel's tired expression turned to one of delight, her smile nearly splitting her face. The person was a young man, roughly her own age, wearing a simple green tunic and brown trousers. He appeared to be deformed somewhat, with a largely humped back and a forehead that drooped somewhat over his right eye. His physique was muscular and his features fair.

"Quasi!" she said happily, beaming at him.

"There you are," he replied, smiling as he walked over to her, "I've been looking for you all day!"

"Sorry," Rapunzel apologized, kissing him on the top of his head, his auburn hair brushing against her face, "I've been busy deciphering this message I got this morning."

"Deciphering a message?" Quasi asked, looking at the message and the book sitting on the table, "Who would send you a message in Runic?"

"Well, I just finished, so we can find that out together," Rapunzel replied with a smile, picking up her translated copy of the message.

"Dear Princess Rapunzel," Rapunzel began reading aloud, "You don't know me but you may have heard of me. I am Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third and I am your friend, Princess Merida's betrothed. I'm sure you've heard plenty about how bad things are going for Merida here, and I'm not writing this letter to try and refute what she has said. Instead, I am writing it to say one thing. I do not hate Merida. In fact, I really, truly like her and I am writing this to ask you to help me prove it to her. I know her birthday is in a few weeks and I was hoping to throw her a party. I'm sure she would love it if you could contribute, so I hope to hear from you soon. Thank you."

Rapunzel sat back in her chair as Quasi blinked in surprise.

"Wow," Quasi commented.

"Yeah," Rapunzel replied, "You know, it's just like Merida to miss something like someone being attracted to her. We have to help, for her sake if nothing else."

"You're right," Quasi agreed, "But what should we do?"

"Well, Merida did say she really like my cooking," Rapunzel stated, taping her chin as she thought, "But it's not like I can send a cake with a messenger pigeon."

"You could send a recipe though," Quasi pointed out.

"You're a genius!" Rapunzel exclaimed, turning and leaning down before kissing Quasi on the cheek, "I just hope this Hiccup knows how to bake."

"He'd have to be a pretty strange Viking to know how to bake," Quasi stated.

"I have a feeling that Hiccup is anything but an ordinary Viking," Rapunzel replied as she pulled out another piece of parchment and began writing on it.

_Meanwhile_,

"Hiccup, what exactly are we looking for?" Fishlegs questioned as the two Viking teens wandered through the forest.

"Yew," Hiccup stated, scanning the surrounding trees.

"Me?" Fishlegs asked confusion.

"No, yew, like the type of wood," Hiccup explained, glancing at Fishlegs and rolling his eyes.

"Oh right, sorry," Fishlegs apologized, scratching his head in embarrassment, "What do you need that for?"

"To make Merida's gift," Hiccup explained, stepping over a large, exposed root.

"Right, the bow," Fishlegs grunted, struggling to pull his larger frame over the root, "But why yew?"

"It's sturdy, but flexible, makes it good for crafting bows," Hiccup elaborated, helping Fishlegs over the root, "Aren't you supposed to be the one who knows everything?"

"I am when it comes to things that interest me," Fishlegs replied, brushing his tunic off as the two continued on their way, "Trees do not interest me."

"Fair enough," Hiccup replied with a chuckle.

"So why don't you get some yew wood from Gobber?" Fishlegs questioned as they walked down a hill.

"He doesn't have any," Hiccup explained, "As you may have noticed, not many people in the village use bows, so he doesn't have any and the woodcutters don't make a point of gathering any"

"Do you know what a yew looks like?" Fishlegs asked, before almost walking into Hiccup as the smaller boy came to an abrupt stop in front of him.

"Kind of like that," Hiccup replied, pointing to the large coniferous tree towering over them. Its gnarled wood had a reddish color to it, while its branches hung heavy with red berries and green needles far above their heads.

"Oh," Fishlegs replied in awe as he looked up at the massive tree.

"Come on," Hiccup said as he began to walk towards the tree, Fishlegs following him, "I'm hoping to find a fallen branch or something to carve the bow out of."

The two searched around the tree for a few minutes, unable to find a branch that fitted Hiccup's needs. Eventually, gazing up at the tree, Fishlegs noticed something.

"Hey, Hiccup," Fishlegs said, catching the other boy's attention, "What about that one?"

Hiccup followed Fishlegs' gaze, seeing a low hanging branch that was cracked near the trunk, looking like it could be yanked off with a solid pull.

"Yeah, that should work," Hiccup replied, before walking over to a branch that hung just between the ground and the other branch, "Come give me a boost."

Fishlegs nodded and jogged over, putting his back facing the branch as he bent down and cupped his hands together near his knees. Hiccup placed his hands on Fishlegs' shoulders while putting his foot in Fishlegs' hands.

"Ready?" Fishlegs asked.

"Ready," Hiccup replied. Fishlegs nodded before standing up and pulling his hands into the air. What Hiccup was expecting to happen was Fishlegs lifting him high enough to grab onto the branch. What actually happened was Fishlegs hurled him upwards, sending the smaller boy into the air a few feet above the branch before Hiccup crashed on the branch hard on his stomach, knocking the wind out his lungs in a painful wheeze.

"You okay?" Fishleg's questioned.

"Peachy," Hiccup moaned as he pulled himself to his feet. Carefully standing up so he didn't lose his balance, Hiccup turned to face the weaker branch. Hiccup quickly rubbed his hands together and flexed his fingers while shaking out his muscles. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, he focused his attention on the branch while swinging his arms at his side in his preparation to jump. Mentally psyching himself up, Hiccup counted to three before leaping at the branch. Wrapping his hands around the branch, all of Hiccup's weight pulled on it in the hopes of breaking it off. Instead, Hiccup hung from the unmoving branch, swinging gently in the breeze like a wind chime.

Hiccup sighed in annoyance before looking down at Fishlegs.

"A little help here," Hiccup said, causing Fishlegs to blink in surprise.

"Oh right, hold on a second," Fishlegs replied before hopping a little bit and grabbing onto the lower branch before pulling himself up with a grunt of effort. Pushing himself to his feet, he turned to face Hiccup, who was still hanging from the branch.

"Okay, now, if you grab on, our combined weight should break the branch off," Hiccup instructed.

"Got it," Fishlegs replied, "Ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Hiccup answered.

Fishlegs nodded before leaping into the air. However, instead of wrapping his arms around the branch like Hiccup was expecting him to, Fishlegs instead wrapped his meaty arms around Hiccup's small torso. Hiccup let out a cry of surprise and pain as he desperately tried to hold onto the branch, but Fishlegs' weight proved far too much to support and the two fell to the ground with a loud thud, Hiccup laying on Fishlegs' chest.

"Ow," Fishlegs groaned.

"That could have gone better," Hiccup surmised.

"Yeah," Fishlegs agreed, "Now what?"

"I guess we…" Hiccup began before a loud cracking sound caught his attention. Slowly looking up, Hiccup saw the branch creaking and dipping, apparently shaken loose by the small tremor of Fishlegs and Hiccup's impact.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," Hiccup moaned before the branch broke off and landed on his stomach with a loud thud. For a few moments, the two Vikings lay there, their voices silenced from pain.

"Ow," Fishlegs groaned again before the two fell into silence once more.

_Later,_

The two Viking teens made their way through the forest, the yew branch resting on Fishlegs' shoulders.

"Well, that could have gone a lot better," Hiccup commented, rubbing his stomach.

"Hey, at least we got the wood," Fishlegs pointed out.

Hiccup nodded in agreement before pausing as he listened to something. Hiccup's eyes suddenly widened in fear before he leapt onto the ground.

"Get down!" he whispered harshly.

"What?" Fishlegs asked in confusion.

"I said get down!" Hiccup repeated, spinning around and grabbing hold of Fishlegs' legs and giving them a sharp tug, causing the larger boy to lose his balance and fall to the ground with a thud, the yew branch tumbling across the ground next to them.

"Ow, what was that for?" Fishlegs asked irately.

"Shut up!" Hiccup whispered harshly again as he dove onto Fishlegs' chest and covered his friend's mouth with his hands. A moment later, Merida rode into view on the other side of the brush that the two Vikings were hiding behind. Angus snorted as he trotted to a stop before Merida slid from his back. The princess sighed as she began to wander around the area, looking forlornly at the surrounding forest.

"Why are we hiding?" Fishlegs questioned after prying Hiccup's hands off of his mouth.

"This is supposed to be a surprise, remember?" Hiccup questioned, "Don't you think Merida will be a little suspicious if she sees the two of us walking through the forest with a branch of yew?"

"Good point," Fishlegs replied, "So what should we do?"

"We have to get out of here," Hiccup answered while rolling off of Fishlegs' chest. Crawling across the ground on his knees and elbows, Hiccup crawled through the undergrowth, keeping a close eye on Merida as he went. His ears pricking up, Angus turned in Hiccup's direction before he began trotting over in his direction.

"Whit is it, Angus?" Merida asked in confusion, looking over at the horse.

The horse snorted again as he came to a stop, looking down at Hiccup lying on the ground before him. Hiccup looked up at the horse with wide eyes, trying to wave the horse off without attracting Merida's attention any further.

"Angus, whiat's th' matter?" Merida questioned, looking at Angus with concern before she began to make her way over to the horse. Panic began to overtake Hiccup as he looked at Fishlegs in desperation. Fishlegs looked around, trying to think of something to do. Looking to his side, Fishlegs noticed a large rock sitting next to him. Reaching for it, Fishlegs grabbed it and hurled it at a tree behind Merida, the princess not noticing him with her attention on Angus. The rock shattered with a loud bang, causing Merida to whirl around in shock. Seeing his opportunity, Hiccup quickly scrambled away, hiding behind a large rock a short distance away as Fishlegs quickly lay back down.

"Whit in th' world?" Merida asked as she walked over to where the rock had hit the tree. While Merida's back was turned, Hiccup quickly signaled for Fishlegs to come to him. Fishlegs nodded and after picking up the yew branch, made a quiet dash over towards Hiccup. As he did though, Fishlegs tripped and tumbled to the ground, the yew branch smacking him on the head as he fell before it rolled away. Hiccup smacked his face in exasperation, before quickly bending over and grabbing Fishlegs' ankles. Heaving with exertion, Hiccup dragged Fishlegs across the ground, leaving a furrow in the dirt before disappearing behind the rock just as Merida turned around again. Raising an eyebrow in suspicion, Merida scanned the area where the two Viking boys had been moments ago, before shaking her head as if to dispel a thought.

"Weird," she mumbled, before turning to Angus, who had watched the entire scene with his head tilted to the side in confusion, "Come on, Angus."

The horse snorted in reply, giving one last glance to the rock Fishlegs and Hiccup where hiding behind before following Merida as she ventured deeper into the forest. The boys stayed frozen behind the rock, Hiccup red faced and fighting to catch his breath from having to drag the much larger Fishlegs behind the rock.

"I think she's gone," Fishlegs stated as peaked around the rock.

"Good," Hiccup huffed, "Let's…get…out…of…here."

Fishlegs picked up the yew branch and heaved it back onto his shoulders before the two quickly made their way back towards the village, weary of Merida making another sudden and unexpected appearance.

_The next day,_

Hiccup sat at his workbench within the smithy, scraping and sanding the wood until it was completely smooth. Gobber looked up from his work of grinding an axe head to razor sharpness.

"Makin' a bow fer the'princess, huh?" Gobber asked, "Been awhile since ye've made ane o' those."

"Actually, it's kind of worse than that," Hiccup sighed, turning to look at Gobber as the blacksmith hobbled over to him, "I've never made the type of bow that Merida uses before."

"Oh, ye mean a recurve bow," Gobber surmised, "Aye, they can be tricky. Ye think ye're up fer it?"

Hiccup looked at the piece of wood in front of him for a few long moment, studying the grain of the scraped and sanded material.

"Yeah, I am," Hiccup said determinedly.

"Well, from whit Ah know, there arenae many more steps involved with it," Gobber explained "Ye jist hae tae make sure tae carve it in the correct shape an' make sure ye heat it properly tae get th' right shape. Other than 'at, ye got tae make sure there are nae kinks or breaks in th' wood an' 'at ye get a strong enough bowstrin'. Recurve bows are a lot more powerful than normal anes an' there's nothin' worse than haein' a bow snap on ye."

"You sound like you've made these before," Hiccup commented.

"Ance or twice," Gobber explained, smiling enigmatically at Hiccup as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Thanks, Gobber," Hiccup stated, smiling at his teacher.

"Daenae worry aboot it," Gobber replied, turning and making his way back over to the grindstone, "Remember, right shape an' everythin' will be fine."

Hiccup smirked and nodded in reply as he pulled out a whittling knife and began to carve the stick of wood into the shape he pictured in his mind.

_The next day,_

Hiccup made his way down the cliff from the pigeon coop, reading over the message he had received from Rapunzel, smiling as he did. Glancing up, he saw Fishlegs making his way over to him.

"Hey, Fishlegs," Hiccup greeted his friend as the larger boy jogged over to him.

"Hey, Hiccup," Fishlegs replied, "What do you have there?"

"Letter from Princess Rapunzel," Hiccup replied, holding up the letter so Fishlegs could see.

"What did she say?" Fishlegs asked.

"Well, she wrote a message for Merida," Hiccup explained, showing Fishlegs the message in question as well, "As well as a…gift that I can make Merida."

"What is it?" Fishlegs questioned.

"Let's just say it's something neither you nor I have attempted before," Hiccup answered with nervous chuckle, "I just hope that I can pull it off. Anyway, I need to get some string for Merida's gift. The woods being heated right now into the proper shape and I needed to run a few errands."

"Speaking of gifts," Fishlegs said as the two made their way through the village, "You think it would be okay if I got Merida a gift as well?"

"Sure, I'm sure Merida will appreciate any gift that she gets," Hiccup replied, smiling at his friend, "It's not like she's expecting any after all. What were you thinking of getting her?"

"Well, that's the thing, I don't know her enough to think of a gift to get her," Fishlegs admitted, "You got any ideas?"

Hiccup thought for a moment before a thought came to him.

"Well, isn't you mom the village seamstress?" Hiccup questioned.

"Yeah, so?" Fishlegs asked, not getting Hiccup's point.

"So, I get the feeling that Merida doesn't actually appreciate some of the clothing traditions of the Highlands, specifically those concerning women," Hiccup explained, "So, maybe your mom could make Merida some Viking girl clothes. I think she might appreciate that."

"That's a great idea!" Fishlegs exclaimed happily, "I'll go ask her right now!"

"Alright, I'll go finish my errands and I'll meet up with you later!" Hiccup called as Fishlegs jogged off again, waving to Hiccup as he went. Hiccup smiled as his friend disappeared into the village before he went about his business as well.

_A few days later_,

The bow lay upon Hiccup's workbench, the pale reddish wood polished to a shine, the grain smooth and the form perfectly curved. The young man leaned over the bow as Gobber and Fishlegs flanked him.

"Wow," Fishlegs marveled, looking the bow over, "That looks really good, Hiccup."

"Aye," Gobber agreed, looking at Hiccup with pride, "This may be yer best work yet, lad!"

"Thanks," Hiccup said with a smile, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, "But I don't even know if it works yet. I test the bowstring a couple of times until I got one that wouldn't snap the instant it was strung, but still, I don't know how well it can fire an arrow."

"Well, there's nae time like th' present," Gobber replied, pulling out an arrow and holding it out for Hiccup.

"You want me to test it?" Hiccup asked incredulously.

"Well, who else is goin' tae dae it?" Gobber questioned, "Th' bows a wee bit too small fer th' likes o' me an' Fishlegs."

"I've never been very good with bows anyway," Fishlegs added.

"Well, neither have I," Hiccup added, addressing Gobber "Remember when I almost took out your eye?"

"It was a good shot," Gobber replied with a shrug.

"I was aiming for a target twenty feet to your right!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Yer aim was fine," Gobber said, "Th' problem was ye cudnae hold th' bow straight."

"So what makes you think I'm going to be able to now?" Hiccup questioned.

"Let's face it, Hiccup, ye're th' only ane here 'at's th' right size tae fire it," Gobber stated, a smirk on his lips, "Besides, Ah believe in ye."

Sighing, Hiccup looked down at the bow before picking it up. He thumbed the bowstring for a moment, before turning and taking the arrow from Gobber, who smiled down at his apprentice. Exiting the shop, the three made their way around the back of the smithy, Gobber grabbing a target while Fishlegs grabbed the stand. Gobber and Fishlegs quickly set up the target at one end of the smithy while Fishlegs stood on the other end, dubiously looking at the bullseye.

"Alright, lad!" Gobber called as he and Fishlegs stepped to the side, "Give it yer best shot!"

"My best shot is a lot of people's worse shot," Hiccup mumbled to himself as he held the bow by the grip in one hand at nocked the arrow with the other. Looking at the target again, Hiccup took a calming breath before lifting the bow up and pulling the string back, looking down the shaft of the arrow at the target. He took another breath, concentrating on the target, but was distracted when he realized that his fingers were growing weak and he was quickly losing his grip on the string. Panicking, he let the string go, not realizing that while taking his eye off the target, he had accidentally altered his aim. As such, when he released the arrow, instead of it hitting the bullseye, it soared above it, disappearing behind a nearby rooftop. The three of them watched where it had gone for a few moments before their came a loud screech that sounded like it had come from a chicken.

"Oh, 'at sounded like ane o' Heidi's chickens," Gobber stated while blanching, "We should probably gae back inside."

The two boys quickly nodded and darted back around the smithy, Fishlegs and Gobber grabbing the target as they ran.

"Well, at least you know it works!" Fishlegs shouted as they ran, causing Hiccup to roll his eyes at his larger friend.

_A few days later,_

Hiccup sat at his workbench in the smithy again, holding the bow in one hand and a knife in the other, whittling at the bow. He flicked some of the wood chippings away with his thumb before blowing on it to dispel the sawdust.

"How's it comin', lad?" Gobber asked from behind Hiccup.

"Good," Hiccup admitted, looking over his handiwork.

"Well, Ah believe Ah hae somethin' 'at will gae along with yer gift rather well," Gobber stated.

"What's that?" Hiccup asked, looking over to Gobber just as the blacksmith walked over to him and placed something down on the workbench. Looking at it, Hiccup realized it was a leather quiver, a large one that was meant to be slung over a person's shoulders.

"You made her a quiver?" Hiccup asked.

"It's nae finished yet but aye, figured it be better than 'at dainty ane Ah noticed her usin' afore," Gobber commented, "Figured she wudnae mind a new ane tae gae along with her new bow."

"Thanks Gobber," Hiccup stated, smiling at Gobber, "You've been a real help. I'm still surprised though. Why are you giving her a present, you've only met her once."

"There's jist something' aboot her 'at Ah like," Gobber explained, "She's got spirit. Fiery spirit. Ah like 'at. She deserves better than whit she got an' it's good o' ye tae try an' give it tae her, lad."

"Well, thanks again, Gobber," Hiccup stated, smiling warmly at the blacksmith, "You've been a big help throughout all of this."

"Hey," Gobber replied, clapping Hiccup on the shoulder, "It's whit Ah'm here fer, Hiccup."

_Later,_

"Are you sure about this, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked, nervously "This might be too hard to pull off."

"Aye, Fishlegs is right," Gobber agreed, "None o' us hae ever dealt with somethin' like this afore."

"I know, but I have to do it," Hiccup said, "No matter the cost."

Holding up a piece of parchment, he glanced at Fishlegs.

"Besides, the princess gave me the exact instructions on how to do it," Hiccup explained, "It can't be that hard. I mean look, we've got all the ingredients."

Hiccup gestured to the table in front of them as they stood in the kitchen of Gobber's house, a fire burning in the stone oven to their side. Sitting on the table was a collection of items needed to bake a cake, such as milk, eggs and flour, as well as a large bowl to mix it all in.

"We just got to follow each of the steps and we should be fine," Hiccup stated, looking confidently at the others, "What's the worst that could happen?"

_Minutes later,_

The three Vikings stood outside Gobber's squat, stone house, watching as the last of the smoke rising from the fiery remains of what could in no way, shape or form be described as a cake flowed out of the window and chimney. Each of their faces and clothes were covered in a combination of flour, cake batter and soot.

"Well," Gobber said after a moment, shrugging his shoulders, "At least ye didnae burn ma house down, Hiccup. Nae bad fer th' first try, Ah suppose. Probably should let th' kitchen air oot afore we try again though."

"Yeah," Hiccup agreed, letting out a light cough as he tried to brush some of the flour out of his hair, "Probably a good idea."

_Later,_

Gobber yawned as he hobbled up the hill towards his home, the sun setting in the west, casting the village in shadow. It had been a long day, working to both get the various tasks the villagers needed doing as well as helping Hiccup put the finishing touches on his party preparation. The boy had been a bundle of nerves the entire day, both excited and terrified about what the next day may or may not bring. Gobber couldn't help but smile thinking about it, he truly hoped things went well for his apprentice, gods knew he could use a break.

As Gobber made his way closer to his house, he noticed someone leaning against the wall of a nearby building, apparently watching him. Gobber looked at the person in confusion, but as he approached, the figure stepped out of the shadows, allowing Gobber to better see him, which caused the blacksmith's eyes to narrow as he scowled.

"Spitelout," Gobber growled as he eyed the other man.

"Gobber," Spitelout replied, a similar sound of distaste in his voice as he approached the blacksmith.

"Whit dae ye want?" Gobber questioned.

"I wanted to talk to you," Spitelout replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Talk tae me aboot whit?" Gobber asked, eyeing the other man wearily.

"About that stunt you pulled with my son," Spitelout snarled, taking a step towards Gobber and pointing an accusatory finger at the blacksmith.

"Whit?" Gobber asked in confusion, "Are ye talkin' aboot me throwin' him oot o' ma shop fer harassin' ma apprentice?"

"No, I'm talking about how you beat him up before hand," Spitelout growled, his anger rising.

"Oh, is 'at whit he told ye?" Gobber asked with a chuckle, "See, th' thing is, Ah didnae dae more than kick him oot of ma shop. It was Hiccup who gave Snotlout a beatin'."

"You expect me to believe that load of crap?" Spitelout spat.

"Believe whit ye want," Gobber replied with a shrug, "Ah wasnae th' only ane there."

"Tuffnut and Snotlout say it was you," Spitelout stated.

"Well, o' course they'd say 'at!" Gobber said with a laugh, "Who wud ye rather tell yer father beat ye black an' blue? Th' Viking 'at everyone says is too weak tae slice his own bread or a full grown man with ten times yer experience?"

Spitelout merely glared at Gobber in reply.

"Besides, th' four o' us werenae th' only anes there," Gobber explained, "Ye should ask Fishlegs whit happened, though ye might find him a wee bit biased too. After all, it wasnae me or Hiccup 'at gave yer boy 'at black eye."

Spitelout's eyes narrowed even further as he dropped his arms to the side while balling them up into fists.

"Ye know, Ah hae tae say, Spitlout," Gobber whispered conspiratorially, leaning towards the other man, "Fer someone who's supposed tae embody everythin' a Viking man should be, yer boy is an awful whiner."

"Don't talk about my son," Spitlout snarled, pointing his finger in Gobber's face.

"Why? Never seemed tae me like ye've had a problem with criticizin' yer own blood," Gobber stated.

"What?" Spitlout asked in confusion.

"Well, Ah'm always hearin' you complain aboot whit a burden on th' village Hiccup is," Gobber explained, "Or did ye just gae ahead an' forget 'at he's yer nephew? Ah'm sure Val is sae proud."

"Don't talk about my sister you half-breed mongrel!" Spitlout shouted as he grabbed hold of Gobber's vest with his two hands.

"Ye seem very selective aboot which family members Ah can talk aboot an' which anes Ah cannae," Gobber pointed out with an edge to his voice, "Sae much fer blood bein' thicker than water."

Spitlout growled in fury as he pulled his fist back to hit Gobber, who quickly followed suit. Before any punches could be thrown though, a powerful hand wrapped around each of their wrist before pulling them apart. The two men stumbled backwards a few feet before catching themselves, finding a large, blond Viking woman standing between them, glaring at them both in turn.

"I'd think you two would be too old now for these street scuffles," she spat, "Neither of you are sixteen anymore."

"Ah daenae know whit ye're talkin' aboot, Bertha," Gobber replied, chuckling, "Me and' Spitelout here were jist havin' a friendly chat."

"Friendly chat, huh?" Bertha asked, raising an eyebrow at Gobber.

"Well, as friendly o' a chat that me an' Spitelout are capable of' haein'," Gobber stated with a shrug, "Isnae 'at right, Spitelout?"

Spitelout merely growled while glaring at Gobber before turning and leaving, stomping his way down the street.

"You shouldn't antagonize him like that," Bertha admonished, turning to look at Gobber.

"Hey, it werenae me 'at started 'at," Gobber replied, straightening his vest and brushing himself off a little.

"I heard what you said, Gobber," Bertha stated firmly, "He may have said some things, but you didn't do anything to try and calm the situation down."

"Ah'm nae afraid o' Spitelout," Gobber stated seriously.

"And nobody's saying you are," Bertha replied, "But you two can't be getting into fights in the street like you're both still in dragon training."

"Ye're ane tae talk," Gobber said, his eyes narrowing.

"Excuse me?" Bertha replied dangerously.

"Ye're ane tae talk aboot nae fightin' in th' street when Ah know fer a fact 'at yer daughter has attacked th' princess twice. Ane time with a knife," Gobber explained.

"She's not exactly fond of the idea of a Highlander living with us. She finds it to be…distasteful," Bertha explained.

"Well, 'at's th' understatement o' th' bloody year," Gobber replied, rolling his eyes.

"You know she has a good reason to be angry at the Highlanders, Gobber," Bertha spat, a good deal of venom in her voice.

"Aye, they killed her father. Yer husband. Ah get 'at," Gobber answered, "But isnae th' entire point o' this treat tae breed peace, nae tae force open auld wounds?"

"What are you getting at?" Bertha questioned.

"Whit Ah'm getting' at is 'at since th' princess got here, th' only ane who's been tryin' tae make this treaty work is Hiccup," Gobber explained, "Everyone else has been daein' their best tae make her feel as unwelcome an' unwanted as possible. Nae jist yer girl, nae jist her friends. Everyone. Ye, Spitlout, Stoick, even me, as Ah'm ashamed tae admit."

"You know how our people feel about outsiders, Gobber," Bertha replied.

"Oh, Ah know, Bertha," Gobber replied irately, "If there's ane thing in this bloody world 'at Ah know, it's 'at our village does nae take kindly tae outsiders."

"I didn't mean it like that," Bertha sighed, realizing how badly she had misspoke.

"Ah daenae really care how ye meant it, all Ah really care aboot is this," Gobber replied darkly, "If, by some miracle Hiccup an' Merida make it through marriage without ane o' them getting' murdered, 'at they somehow manage tae start a family taegether, are ye really goin' tae tell me 'at Ah'm nae goin' tae hear th' same ridicule, th' same prejudice aimed at an innocent child as Ah did all those years ago?"

Bertha was silent, looking away from Gobber and at the ground.

"Aye," Gobber stated after a moment, shaking his head slightly as he turned away from Bertha and began making his way back home, "Ah thought as much."

"I'll talk to her," Bertha stated, watching as Gobber walked away.

"Ye dae 'at," Gobber told her, not bothering to look back as he continued to hobble away, "Or we're goin' tae hae a lot bigger problems on our hands then dragons an' marauders."

A/N: Well, after all of those super serious chapters these past few weeks it felt good to write a relatively light-hearted chapter. It was a bit harder to write, because it's more of a montage, while the other ones are more of single scenes, which are different to write but I think I managed. I hope you all like it. Feed-back and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	10. Happy Birthday

**Chapter 10: Happy Birthday**

Merida slowly opened her eyes as sunlight spilled across her face through the window. She blinked in surprise before she squinted against the light, grumbling angrily at being woken from her slumber. Sighing, she rolled over onto her side, her back to the window, before blinking her eyes to clear them. She looked forlornly at the timber walls of her room, so different from the stone ones she had grown up with. She sighed again as she pushed her heavy fur blankets off of her and sat up, a thought occurring to her.

"It's ma birthday," she sighed, a sad expression on her face. She was sixteen years old now. And nobody on the entire island cared.

Over the weeks she had been living on Berk, Merida had slowly gotten over her homesickness, helped, in part, by the resentment she still felt towards her mother. But now it all came flooding back. She was all alone on this island, surrounded by people who hated her. Nobody cared that she had turned sixteen, nobody cared that she was one step closer to true womanhood. Nobody cared at all.

She sighed again. Maybe this was for the best. She was probably better off with no one knowing. She didn't want to give the villagers a specific day that they could single her out on. Especially Astrid. She realized that she was already spending most of her time hiding in the woods, but if there was ever a day she needed to get far away from people on this island, it was today. Perhaps she would swing by the pigeon coop later. Bucket was always nice to her, and maybe she got a letter from home or from Rapunzel. It was better than nothing.

She slid out of bed, her bare feet padding across the hardwood floor of her room over to her chest of clothing. Digging through it, she pulled out a dark green dress and quickly put it on after shedding her sleeping gown, before sliding on her riding boots. She spared a quick glance towards her broken bow, still sitting in the corner where she had placed it weeks ago, before heading towards the door. She marched to the door, her hand reaching out to pull it open and be on her way before the thud of her boots against the wood abruptly changed to the sound of crumpling paper.

Merida froze in place, her hand still outstretched towards the door, a confused look on her face. She shifted her weight back and forth, creating the same sound of crumpling parchment beneath her foot. Taking a step back, she looked down, seeing a folded piece of parchment laying on the floor, apparently having been slid under her door in the night. Her confusion growing, she leaned down and picked the parchment up, unfolding it as she stood back up.

"Happy Birthday, Merida," she read quietly to herself, "Come tae th' clearin' by th' big rock tae celebrate."

A million thoughts raced through Merida's head at once. Who sent this? Why? Her mind immediately provided an answer for the first question. Hiccup. It must have been him, who else could it have been? No matter what the people of the village though about her, she doubt any of them had the guts to sneak into Stoick the Vast's home in the middle of the night. But that still left the second question. Why had Hiccup done this? Could he be setting her up for some kind of trap? Could Astrid be waiting for her when she got there? By why would Hiccup do that? It didn't seem like Astrid exactly liked him either. He certainly didn't seem to enjoy tormenting her like the others did. Merida was sure he disliked her, but he didn't seem to be the type to bully someone else. So what could his goal be? He couldn't actually want to celebrate her birthday, could he?

"Nae" she chastised herself, "'At's ridiculous. Why wud he dae 'at? He doesnae care 'at it's yer birthday. Daenae be stupid."

Shaking her head and laughing at herself, she dropped the message on the floor and began briskly walking away. However, as she went, her pace began to slow, until she came to a full stop. Slowly, she looked over shoulder at the message sitting on the floor. What if it wasn't some kind of trick? What if he really wanted to celebrate her birthday? Growling in frustration, Merida quickly shook her head again in an attempt to banish the thought, her hair flying wildly around her.

"Whit's wrong with me!?" she growled, "He's nae daein' anythin' fer me! He's nae throwin' me a party!"

But even as she said that, her thoughts continued to badger her, refusing to be silenced. Turning, Merida looked back at the message as the same thought repeated over and over again.

But what if he was?

"Damn!" Merida suddenly cursed, stamping her feet in frustration, "Damn, damn, damn, damn, DAMN!"

Whirling around, Merida ran over to the message, scooped it up, before dashing back down the hall, down the stairs and out the door before her nerves got the better of her. She briefly thought of taking Angus, but decided against it. If this was where she thought it was, it wasn't far, and she didn't want to waste time getting the horse ready. She wanted answers and she wanted them now!

Running through the woods, the brush grabbed at the hem of her dress, almost trying to stop her, but she refused to even slow down. Her heart raced but her mind was focused on one thing. She had to get to the clearing. She had to see if Hiccup was there. She had to know, she had to know, she had to know!

Bursting into a clearing, Merida stumbled to a stop, her chest heaving, as her hair stuck out in every direction, giving her a wild look. The clearing was wide and open, surrounded by a thick trees and brush. The clearing was covered in bright green grass with a few colorful wildflowers dotting it here and there. A large rock loomed near the center, jutting out of the ground towards the sky. Next to it sat an old tree stump, wide and flat. Behind it, holding some sort of baked good in his hands, was Hiccup, looking at her in bewilderment.

There was a long pause as the two teenagers merely stared at each other, silent except for the slowly quieting sound of Merida huffing and puffing as she tried to catch her breath. Carefully, Hiccup placed what Merida realized was an unfrosted cake on the stump before awkwardly smiling at her.

"Uh…H-Happy birthday!" he exclaimed hesitantly, throwing his hands into the air as he laughed nervously.

"Hiccup?" she asked, confusion clear on her face as she scanned the scene, noticing a small number of wrapped parcels sitting next to the stump, "Whit is all this?"

"It's…It's your birthday party," he explained, playing with his hands nervously, "You know…like the note said?"

"But why?" Merida questioned, growing frustrated as she tried and failed to make sense of what she was seeing.

"Because…it's your birthday?" Hiccup hazarded, unsure of what she wanted him to say.

"Ah know it's ma birthday!" Merida snapped angrily, causing Hiccup to flinch backwards, "Why are ye throwin' me a party?"

"Because I wanted to celebrate your birthday," Hiccup explained, beginning to understand what she was really asking him.

"Why?" she questioned, her voice growing quieter, as if she was afraid of what she was asking, "Why wud ye want tae dae 'at?"

"Because…" Hiccup paused, his face growing redder as he took a deep, calming breathe to steady his nerves, "Because I like you."

"W-Whit dae ye mean ye…like me?" Merida asked, shaking her head as she ran a hand through her wild hair.

"It means I think you're a really…you know…great person…and…stuff…and…" Hiccup trailed off, feeling incredibly embarrassed as he mentally kicked himself for sounding so stupid.

"An'…" Merida urged him.

"And I think…I think you're…what I mean to say is…" Hiccup rambled, looking everywhere but at Merida. Eventually, he worked up the courage to look at her, his green eyes looking into her blue ones. The sight caused him to just stare for a few moments, taking her in as she looked at him with confused, but pleading eyes. Pleading for what, he wasn't sure, he didn't even think she was sure, but all at once, his nervousness fell away as he rediscovered his voice.

"You're the prettiest girl I ever seen," Hiccup said simply, his gaze never leaving hers.

"W-Whit?" Merida asked, hearing him but not believing as her pale cheeks began to glow pink.

"You're the prettiest girl I have ever seen in my entire life," Hiccup repeated, taking a few steps towards her.

"'A-At's nae…'at's nae true," Merida stated, looking away from him as her face grew redder, "Ah-Ah'm…Ah'm nae pretty."

"Yes, you are," Hiccup insisted, taking a couple more steps towards her.

"Nae, Ah'm not!" Merida snapped, whipping her head back around to glare at Hiccup, though the blush remained on her face, "An'…An' ye danae like me!"

"Of course I do," Hiccup argued gently, a small smile on his face as he continued to inch towards the flustered princess.

"Nae, ye daenae!" Merida shouted, though it was clear to Hiccup that even she didn't really believe what she was saying, "Ye hate me!"

"I've never once hated you," Hiccup assured her, standing only a few feet away now.

"Yes, ye hae!" Merida insisted, tears beginning to well up in her icy blue eyes, "Because if ye haenae…then 'at means…'at means 'at Ah'ae…Ah hae…oh nae…"

As she said this, all the strength seemed to leave Merida's body as her knees suddenly buckled beneath her. Hiccup, only standing a few feet away from her now, reacted instinctively, reaching out and grabbed her waist, catching her before she fell and prompting her to grab onto his shoulders without thinking. For a moment, the two stood there like that, Hiccup holding her up and watching her with wide, frightened eyes as Merida looked at the ground in a daze, her fingers curled in the material of his vest. Gently, Hiccup pulled her to her feet, steadying her while keeping his hands on her hips. Slowly, Merida lifted her head to look at him, tears beginning to leak from the corner of her eyes.

"Is it true?" she asked quietly, "Is everythin' ye said true?"

"Every word," Hiccup replied, smiling at her as he began to notice how close she was to him, his face growing red as he began to fidget with his hands, clearly unsure if he should take them from her hips or leave them where they were.

While Hiccup's words had clearly been intended to reassure her, upon hearing them, Merida suddenly burst into tears, crying as she buried her face into his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him against her. The action caused Hiccup to throw his arms rigidly out to the side as his entire face turned red, a bewildered expression frozen on it. As Merida began to sob into his vest, shaking like a leaf against him, Hiccup slowly regained control of his senses. He awkwardly looked down at her, unsure of what to do before slowly wrapping his arms around her small frame.

"H-Hey," he said nervously, patting her on the shoulder, "It's…It's okay. No reason to cry."

"Nae reason tae cry?" Merida asked incredulously, pulling away to take a better look at him, placing her hands on his shoulders while his slipped back to her hips, looking at him with red rimmed eyes, "Hiccup, daenae ye realize how awful Ah'ae been tae ye?"

"What do you mean?" Hiccup questioned, trying to shrug the topic away.

"Hiccup, Ah tried tae kill ye th' first day we met!" she exclaimed, pulling away from him and taking a step back, causing Hiccup's arms to fall loosely to his side as she took the opportunity to wipe her tear stained face, "Tae say nothin' aboot all th' awful things Ah'ae said tae ye!"

"That's all in the past," Hiccup replied, shrugging as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I mean, you were under a lot of pressure. I probably would have reacted the same if I was in your situation."

"Hiccup, ye are in ma situation," Merida pointed out while giving him a blank look. Hiccup shrugged again, causing Merida to sigh before rubbing her eyes again and running her hands through her hair. The expression on her face looked miserable.

"Ye must think Ah'm awful," she moaned, her voice little louder than a whisper.

"Not at all," Hiccup replied, reaching out and placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Hiccup, Ah tried tae kill ye," she repeated, "Ah daenae understand how ye can jist forgive 'at sae easily."

"Because you had the chance to kill me and you didn't take it," Hiccup explained.

"Ye talked me down," Merida replied.

"I may have convinced you, but I think if you were honest with yourself, you'd know that you wouldn't have done it, regardless of if I had said anything or not," Hiccup insisted, smiling warmly at her. Seeing this, and thinking over his words, a small smile appeared on Merida's face as well, before she glanced over at the stump where the gifts and cake sat.

"Ah cannae believe ye did all this fer me, after how awful Ah treated ye," Merida stated, before looking back at him, "Why?"

"Why what?" Hiccup asked in confusion.

"Why wud ye throw me a party when any other person wud hae written me aff as a horrible person an' hated me back?" Merida explained.

"I knew that if I could show you that I didn't hate you, that you would probably come around," Hiccup replied, smirking as he shrugged at her, "Besides, I've never been known for doing what any other person would do."

The comment caused Merida to chuckle, before her expression turned shy as a blush lightly colored her cheeks.

"Did ye mean it?" she asked, "Whit ye said earlier?"

"About what?" Hiccup asked, slightly confused.

"'At ye thought Ah was pretty," Merida elaborated, her face growing redder.

"Oh!" Hiccup exclaimed in realization as he blushed as well, scratching the back of his head and looking away from her, "I mean, of course, it's obvious isn't it? You must have had all the Highland men writing you sonnets and stuff."

"Nae," she replied, her smile growing as she shook her head while looking at her feet as well, "Nae ane has ever called me pretty afore."

"Oh," Hiccup said in surprise, "Well. Everyone else must be blind then."

The comment caused Merida to gasp lightly as her face turned almost as red as her hair, looking straight down and letting her hair hang over her face in an effort to hide from Hiccup. Hiccup smiled and blushed as well before coughing awkwardly into his hand.

"Anyway, how about we move on to less awkward subjects?" Hiccup suggested, causing Merida to lift her head slightly, looking at him through her hair.

"Alright," she agreed.

"Well, over here we have a multitude of gifts for you," Hiccup explained, gesturing dramatically towards the stump as the two of them began to walk over to it, "As well as a cake that I baked for you."

"Ye baked me a cake?" Merida asked in surprise.

"I hear the surprise in your voice and it is entirely appropriate," Hiccup joked while smiling at her "I almost burned the village down trying to do it."

"How did ye learn tae bake?" Merida questioned as they reached the stump, Hiccup sitting on one side and Merida on the other.

"From a friend of yours," Hiccup explained, before reaching down and pulling out a rolled up parchment and handed it to her. Taking it, Merida raised an eyebrow at him before he urged her to open it. Unrolling it, she found a letter written on the parchment.

"Dear Merida," Merida read aloud for Hiccup's benefit, "Happy Birthday! Ye're sixteen now? Wow, daenae Ah feel auld. Ah hope ye enjoy today an' all th' days after it. Hiccup sounds like a really great guy an' Ah think ye should give him a chance. Ah know ye've always been against th' arranged marriage thing an' Ah'll never know whit it's like bein' in yer shoes (ye know how Ah feel aboot shoes) but Ah think ye should give him a chance. Things happen fer a reason, whether 'at means th' love o' yer life comes stumblin' into yer tower ane day or ye end up arranged tae marry him tae save yer peoples. Okay, maybe Ah'm getting' ahead o' maself but ye know whit a hopeless romantic Ah am. Ah hope he did a good job with ma cake recipe! Both me an' Quasi wish ye well, an' Ah hope we get tae see each other again soon! Love, yer best friend, Rapunzel."

"Well, she certainly doesn't beat around the bush, does she?" Hiccup asked, blushing.

"Rapunzel isn't anythin' if nae blunt," Merida agreed with a chuckle, "Sae, this is her cake recipe?"

"Yeah, she said it was your favorite," Hiccup explained, reaching down and picking something up from next to the stump before handing it to Merida.

"This came with the letter," Hiccup explained, "I wasn't sure what the significance of it was, but I figured you would know."

Looking at what Hiccup had handed her, a smile crossed Merida's face as she looked at it. It was a small figure whittled from a block of wood. Specifically, it had been whittled and painted to resemble her, from her red mane of curly hair to her position of aiming with her bow and arrow.

"Ye're right, Ah dae know," Merida said with a smile, "It's a bit o' a long story though."

She looked up and smiled at Hiccup.

"Ah'll hae tae tell ye some time," Merida stated.

"I'd like that," Hiccup replied with a smile of his own, before reaching down and picking up another parchment and handing it to her. Her smile grew as she took it, unfolded the parchment and began read it aloud.

"Dear Merida," she read, "Sae, since Boyd cannae be relied on tae stay focused enough tae write a sentence, let alone an entire letter an', crazily enough, Andra's handwritin' is terrible tae th' point o' bein' indecipherable, Ah hae tae write this. Tae say we were surprised when Hiccup wroe us aboot plannin' yer birthday wud be a pretty big understatement. In fact, Ah'll be honest, Ah thought it was a joke at first. Whit kind o' Viking plans a birthday party? Well, apparently, this ane does. Sorry tae say there's nothin' we cud get fer ye 'at th' little bird cud carry. Didnae stop Boyd from tryin' to give it a sack of sweet rolls tae carry but hey, 'at's Boyd fer ye. Regardless, we all hope ye have a great birthday, an' Ah think ye should give this Hiccup lad a chance. Ah get th' feeling he might surprise all o' us. Yer friends, Will, Boyd and Andra."

"Seems like ye're getting' all sorts of glowin' recommendations," Merida commented, smirking at Hiccup.

"What can I say, people are starting to come around to how awesome I am," Hiccup shrugged, eliciting another laugh from Merida, "I got another letter for you."

"Who from?" Merida questioned. She had to admit, she was having fun with this.

"I think this one is from your dad," Hiccup explained before handing the rolled up parchment to Merida. Her smile growing even wider, she took the parchment and unrolled it.

"Dear Merida," she read aloud, imagining every word in her father's voice, "Ah can hardly believe 'at ye're already sixteen. It seems like only yesterday 'at th' midwife handed ye tae me all wrapped up in yer swaddlin' clothes. An' now, here ye are, practically a woman grown, out havin' adventures all yer own. Ye hae a lot tae learn, but Ah am proud o' th' woman ye hae become an' th' ane ye are becomin'. Everyone at th' castle misses ye terribly, yer brothers especially. Maudie is doin' th' best she can tae reel them in, as it is comin' time fer them tae start takin' their royal lessons. Yer mother misses ye as well, an' Ah wish ye wud find it in yer heart tae forgive her. She loves ye dearly, an' only wants th' best fer ye, even if 'at conflicts with her sense o' duty. Ah'm still nae sure whit tae think o' this Hiccup fellow, he's nae whit Ah was expectin' when we arranged this marriage. But it seems he wants tae make ye happy, an' 'at makes him alright in ma book. Happy Birthday, Merida. Love, Da."

Hiccup had noticed Merida cringe up slightly at the mention of her mother and covertly slid another message into his pocket as he thought of something to say.

"So your brothers are going to have to get ready to take over for your father, huh?" he questioned, catching Merida's attention, "How does that work? Do they rule together?"

"Nae, technically Harris is th' heir apparent, as he came out first," Merida explained, "If everythin' gaes well, Hubert an' Hamish will gain lordships o' their own, dividing the traditional lands of Clan DunBroch between them while Harris rules th' country as a whole."

"I see," Hiccup stated, "Did you ever think you were going to be Queen of the Highlands?"

"As a little girl, Ah dreamed Ah'd be," Merida explained, a dreamy look on her face, "Ah wudnae hae been th' first, ye know."

"Who was?" Hiccup asked.

"Her name was Boudica, th' wife o' th' leader o' th' people who wud become ma people," Merida explained, "When he died, his lands were supposed tae pass tae his children, but th' Great Empire, our people's auld mutual enemy, who was supposedly their ally, tried tae take it fer themselves. Boudica wudnae let them, sae they invaded. She fought back."

"What happened?" Hiccup questioned.

"Our people won a few battles, but ultimately, th' Empire was too strong, an' we were defeated," Merida said sadly, "They say 'at Boudica hid her children afore confrontin' the Imperials by th' loch near ma home in th' middle o' winter an' killed their general afore castin' herself intae th' loch sae they cudnae capture her."

"Wow," Hiccup whispered, amazed.

"Aye," Merida agreed, "My Da says 'at her children lived on an' their descendants ultimately became Clan DunBroch. At's why th' clans chose ma Da tae be king; they felt it was his right due tae bein' descended from her."

A silence fell between the two as a sad smile crept across Merida's face.

"My Ma always use tae tell me aboot how th' blood o' th' first Queen o' th' Highlands ran through ma veins," Merida said quietly, "She used tae call me her "Little Boudica""

The smile fell away from Merida's face as she stared blankly at the stump.

"'At was a long time ago, though," she stated darkly. Hiccup scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he thought of something to say.

"Well, that's enough reminiscing about the past, I think," Hiccup stated, "We've still got presents to open after all."

"Ah cannae believe ye got me presents," Merida said, smiling as her mood lightened.

"Hey, what kind of birthday doesn't have presents?" Hiccup questioned, "I really lame birthday, that's what. Besides, these aren't all from me."

"They're nae?" Merida questioned.

"Nope, let's see," Hiccup said as he reached down and picked up a burlap sack roughly the size of his head, "I think this one is from Bucket."

"Bucket?" Merida questioned as she took the sack. Attached to it was a small note, which she pulled off.

"Tae Merry. Happy Anniversary. Bucket. 'At's me," she said with a small chuckle.

"Well, I guess it's kind of an anniversary," Hiccup said with a shrug, "Hel, I didn't even know he knew that word."

Smiling, Merida pulled open the sack and reached inside, retrieving an iron bucket, causing her to laugh.

"Well, I guess we shouldn't have really expected anything else from him," Hiccup commented with a chuckle.

"Th' craziest thing is 'at it fits perfectly," she said, before turning the bucket upside down and placing it on her head, where it sat perfectly balanced, causing them both to laugh.

"Well, I guess if there would be one thing Bucket knows, it would be buckets," Hiccup commented, causing Merida to snort with amusement as she took the bucket off her head and placed it to the side.

"This next one is from Fishlegs," Hiccup explained as he handed Merida a bundled up parcel.

"Fishlegs?" Merida questioned, "Isnae he ane o'…Snotlout's friends?"

"He was," Hiccup explained, "They had a bit of a falling out. He was a close friend of mine way back when, so we've been hanging out again lately. He's been helping me get this party together."

"Ah'll hae tae thank him," Merida said, before untying the parcel. She was surprised that when it unraveled, she found a bundle of clothes laying in front of her.

"Whit's all this?" she questioned with a bemused smile.

"Fishleg's mom is a seamstress, the best in the village in fact," Hiccup explained, "We figured you didn't seem to really like the style that ladies of the Highlands wear, so maybe a Viking girl's clothes would be more your tastes."

"Can Ah try them on?" she asked with an excited smile.

"Right now!?" Hiccup blurted out, his whole face turning red.

"Aye, Ah'll jist gae change in th' woods," Merida explained, before a sly grin crossed her face, "Whit, did ye think Ah was goin' tae strip down, right here in front o' ye?"

Hiccup clamped his mouth shut, but the bright red shade of his face spoke volumes.

"Ye did!" she laughed, "Well, last time Ah checked it was ma birthday, nae yers, cheeky bastard. Ah know ma opinion o' ye has taken a very sudden an' pleasant turn an' we are betrothed an' all, but Ah'm nae goin' tae give ye a show jist like 'at. Whit kind o' girl dae ye take me fer?"

"I-I-I…well…you see…that is I…" Hiccup mumbled, unable to form a coherent sentence in his panic.

"Relax, Hiccup, Ah'm jist playin'," she said with a laugh as she stood up and picked up the bundle of clothes, "Ye're very cute when ye get flustered, Ah'm surprised Ah didnae notice 'at afore."

Hiccup couldn't say anything as he flushed an even brighter shade of red.

"Ah'm goin' tae gae try these on, okay?" she said as she made her way towards the tree line, walking backwards so she could continue talking to him, "Nae peekin' now, ye hear?"

"R-Right!" Hiccup exclaimed far too loudly, causing Merida to laugh again, "No p-peeking."

"There's a good lad," Merida teased as she stepped behind the trees and out of view. She couldn't help laughing to herself, a smile seemingly permanently affixed to her face. She couldn't believe the difference in how she felt compared to just that morning. All because of Hiccup.

As she undid the binding of her dress, she glanced back over the shoulder at Hiccup through the foliage. She had expected to try to steal some glances in her direction, and she would have been lying if she said that the thought of stripping down in front of him hadn't made her blush. Instead, she smiled as she saw he was facing completely away from her, pointedly not looking in the direction he knew she was changing. Her heart beat a little faster when she realized how important his word to her apparently had been.

As she continued to watch him, letting her dress fall to the ground, a blush crossed her face. All of a sudden, she noticed how…handsome he was. Perhaps not as masculine or tall or in all the other ways the maids in the castle had chatted about, but in a way all his own. She was stunned she hadn't noticed before, but realized that her own emotions and opinions had clearly gotten in the way. Not anymore, she vowed. It was time to give Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third his fair shake.

After a few minutes, Hiccup began to wonder if anything was wrong and turned to ask Merida if everything was okay. He was stopped though as she emerged from the bushes, her dress and underdress slung over her shoulder as she approached him in her new clothes, smiling widely at him. She wore a light blue short sleeve shirt, the same shade as the dress she had worn when they first met, he realized, that clung tightly to her frame. Over it, she wore a dark green vest made of wool with a large hood hanging down her back. Around her waist hung a skirt that resembled the kilts that the Highland men wore, the blue and green material hanging down to her knees. Her legs were covered by a pair of navy blue leggings that tucked into her shin-high riding boots. On her pale arms, she wore a pair of dark brown, fingerless, leather gloves that ran all the way up to her elbows.

"How dae Ah look?" she questioned, holding her arms out and turning in place so that Hiccup could see.

"You look…amazing," Hiccup whispered, his eyes wide.

"Thank ye," she replied, smiling and walking over and placing her dresses down as a blush spread across her face.

"There's ane thing, though," she said, before pulling out a thin piece of dark green fabric, "Ah daenae know whit this is fer."

"I think you're supposed to put that in your hair to hold it out of you face," Hiccup explained, "Maybe Mrs. Ingerman thought it was strange for an archer to have all that hair waving around all the time."

"Ah suppose ye're right," Merida agreed, as she pulled some of her hair back out of her face and began wrapping the cloth around her hair, "Ah've ne'er been able tae braid it. It's jist tae curly. This might suit me better. How does it look?"

As Merida lowered her arms, Hiccup could see the cloth sat on the top and back of her head, holding her hair out of her face and bunching it up in a bushel that ran down her back and fanned out as it got lower.

"Great," he answered, smiling at her, causing her to smile back.

"Ah daenae know whit Mrs. Ingerman was worried aboot though," Merida said as she sat next to Hiccup, "Ah'm nae much o' an archer without ma bow."

"Well, this next present may help with that," Hiccup said as he reached over and grabbed a long bundle before handing it to Merida. Merida looked at it quizzically for a few moments before unwrapping it. When she reached what was inside, she let out a gasp and almost dropped the gift.

She looked at the recurve bow in her hands in utter, flabbergasted shock. The wood was finely polished and a dark, reddish brown in color. Looking closely, she saw that images had been carved into the wood. Leaning down to get a better look, she realized they were images of bears, their mouths open to show their pointed teeth as their claws raked through the air. There were four bears in total, each depicted differently from the others, their images running from the tips of the bow to the center grip. On the grip, facing forward, the symbol of the Highland Kingdoms had been carved.

Holding the bow gingerly in one hand, she placed the other over her gaping mouth as she looked at it with watery eyes.

"It's beautiful, Hiccup," she whispered as she turned her attention back to him, "Did…Did ye make this?"

"Yeah," Hiccup replied, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, "Yeah, I did."

"Hiccup, this bow is gorgeous!" Merida exclaimed, smiling in wonder at him, "Ah didnae know ye cud dae this!"

"Neither did I," Hiccup admitted.

"Whit?" Merida asked in confusion.

"I've hardly ever made bows, and I've never made a recurve bow before," Hiccup explained, smiling nervously at her. Merida stared back at him, her mouth hanging up in mute shock.

"Ye're jokin'," she stated.

"Nope," Hiccup replied, "Ask Gobber if you don't believe me."

"Ah jist…Ah cannae believe…" she mutter, utterly shocked, as she looked over the bow before looking back at Hiccup, "Ye cud be th' greatest weaponsmith o' our generation."

"Oh wow," Hiccup replied, blushing, "That's…that's too much of a compliment."

"Ah call it like Ah see it," Merida stated, before sighing, "Ah just wish Ah cud test this beaut out."

"Well, you're in luck," Hiccup said, handing her the last parcel before standing up, "You open that and I will be right back."

Merida looked at him quizzically for a few moments before turning her attention to the parcel. Attached to it was a note.

"Tae Princess Merida. Happy Birthday. From, yer friendly village blacksmith, Gobber th' Belch," she read, smiling before opening the parcel. She drew in another quick breath as she saw what it was.

Pulling it out, she looked at the large, leather quiver she held in her hands. The leather was dark and strong and Merida smiled as she saw the looping patterns similar to Highland designs stitched into the material. Reaching into it, she pulled out one of the white fletched arrows and examined it. To her amazement, the iron arrow heads had the snarling visages of bears carved into them.

"Yeah, Gobber liked the bear design idea too," Hiccup explained as he set up a stand nearby, before turning and walking behind the large rock. Merida raised her eyebrow as she heard Hiccup huffing and puffing before he waddled back into view carrying a bullseye. He quickly set it up before setting away, taking a few breaths as he stepped away.

"Here's your target, Merida," Hiccup said, smiling at her, "Think you're still as good as you were or have your skill gotten rusty?"

"'At sounds like a challenge, laddie," Merida pointed out, grinning as well.

"Take it as you will," Hiccup replied, holding his hands up in an act of surrender as his smile grew, "The target will tell us if it's true or not."

Merida smirked at him as she stood up, taking the bow in her hands and slinging the quiver around her shoulders, taking a moment to adjust to the weight. She walked over to the front of the target before backing away as far at the clearing would let her. Taking an arrow out of the quiver, she nocked it on her bow. Taking a moment to feel the grip of her new bow, she gently pulled the bowstring back, smiling at the sound of the creaking, oiled wood. Taking a calming breath, she raised the bow so the arrow was level with her eye, looking down the shaft at the target nearly on the other side of the clear. Smirking, she released her breath as she simultaneously loosed the arrow, sending it spiraling through the air before digging into the dead center of the target.

"You've still got it!" Hiccup called as he pulled out a knife and sliced out two pieces of cake, handing one to her as she walked over to him with a giant smile on her face, "Birthday cake for the birthday girl."

The two smiled at each other as they bit into the cake, grins plastered on their faces as they watched each other chew. There was a few moments of silence before they both paused in their chewing at the same time.

"Hiccup?" Merida asked, spewing crumbs from her full mouth.

"Yeah?" Hiccup questioned through the cake.

"This cake is shite," she stated, her eye twitching slightly.

"Is it?" Hiccup questioned, his eyes watering.

"Aye," Merida answered, fighting her gag reflex.

"Good," Hiccup replied before they both turned and spat the cake out on the ground, dropping the remaining cake on the ground, "I was beginning to worry that was what it was supposed to taste like, then I would have never understood the appeal."

_Later_,

Night had fallen over the village and Merida admitted to wishing it could go on just a little bit longer. She and Hiccup had spent the rest of the morning, and then the afternoon, and then the evening together. They talked about everything. Their lives before they had met. The stories they had shared with their friends. Merida giggled at the idea of Hiccup and Fishlegs smuggling a Terrible Terror into the village while Hiccup had laughed at the story of how Will had convinced Boyd that a giant sea monster lived in the loch by Merida's home and how he had refused to step foot on the lake's shores for years afterwards. Merida had even taken the time to recount to Hiccup the tale Rapunzel had told her about how she and Quasimodo met and the adventure they had afterwards.

Night had fallen, and after managing to scrounge up a meal in the kitchen downstairs, during which they were briefly joined by Stoick, who managed a half-hearted congratulations for her birthday, the two had decided it was time to retire to bed. Walking up together, Merida felt a strange nervousness come over her. As she approached her door, Merida noticed Hiccup following her. Stopping in front of her door, the two smiled nervously at each other.

"Well, Ah hae tae say, this has been possibly th' best birthday Ah hae ever had," Merida stated, letting out a nervous giggle, "Which is sayin' somethin', since Ah was expectin' it tae be th' worst."

"What can I say?" Hiccup replied with a shrug, "I aim to please."

"Really though, Ah cannae thank ye enough," Merida said, her voice sincere, "Ah treated ye sae horribly, an' ye gave me this wonderful gift in return. Ah daenae think Ah'll ever be able tae make it up tae ye."

"Don't worry about it," Hiccup replied, waving the comment off, "I'm just glad you're happy."

"Ah'm more than happy, Hiccup," Merida stated, looking at Hiccup through half-lidded eyes, "Ye've changed ma opinion on a lot o' things today."

"Well, maybe I can change your opinion on one more thing," Hiccup stated as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment, before handing it to Merida, "This is from your mother. You didn't really seem to be in the mood to read it earlier, so I figured I wait until later. So, here you go."

Merida looked at the parchment dubiously for a few moments, trying to decide what to do. Could she forgive her mother for everything that had happened? Could she bear to read her words? She was still hurt over what had happened all those weeks ago. But Hiccup and her father were right. Perhaps she should give her mother a second chance. She had given Hiccup a second one, and look how well that had turned out. Sighing, Merida opened the letter and began to read it aloud.

"Dear Merida," she began, her voice neutral, "Ah hope this message finds ye well. Ah am saddened tae hear aboot th' troubles ye hae been havin' in Berk. Ah am more saddened tae nae hae heard aboot them from ye. Ma heart aches every time Ah think back tae 'at day, recountin' everythin' Ah did wrong. Ah was sae focused on teachin' y' th' lessons o' responsibility an; 'duty 'at Ah forgot who Ah was tae ye. Ah acted as though Ah was yer queen, when Ah should hae acted as yer mother. Ah will ne'er forgive maself fer 'at. Ye are ma sweet baby girl, an' havin' tae give ye away was th' hardest thing Ah hae ever done."

Merida paused in her reading to wipe at the tears that were forming in her eyes. Hiccup reached out and rubbed her arm with his hand, which she smiled at.

"Always know 'at ye will be here with me in ma heart, as Ah hope 'at Ah may ane day be with ye in yers again. Dae nae be afraid tae open yer heart tae others, Merida, especially th' boy. Hiccup is a good lad, sae unlike his father, sae unlike any Viking who Ah hae ever known an' possibly ever has been. Ah think ye might be surprised if ye give him a chance. Ah hope yer birthday is everythin' ye want it tae be, ma young lady an' Ah dare hope 'at Ah hear from ye soon. Be well ma…"

Merida chocked a little, covering her mouth with her hand as tears fell down her cheeks.

"Ma little Boudica. Love, now an' forever, yer mother."

Hiccup reached up with his other hand, placing it on Merida's other shoulder, which was beginning to shake.

"Merida, are you…" he began to say but was cut off when Merida flung her arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace. Hiccup was caught off guard for a moment, before gingerly returning the hug as Merida cried into his shoulder. Eventually, after a few minutes, Merida's crying slowed to a stop and she pulled away to look at Hiccup.

"Thank ye, Hiccup," Merida stated, whipping her eyes on the back of her hand, "Thank ye fer everythin'."

"Like I said before," he said with a smile, "I just like to see you happy."

"Ah like tae see ye happy too," Merida replied as a nervousness she had never felt took over her. The two stood in awkward silence for a few moments, before Hiccup began to back away.

"Well, I better go get some rest," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Aye, me too," Merida agreed.

"I have to do some work for Gobber tomorrow," Hiccup continued.

"Wake me up when ye gae, Ah'll come with ye," Merida offered.

"Really?" Hiccup questioned, surprised.

"Aye," Merida replied, nodding and smiling earnestly.

"Alright," Hiccup said, returning the smile, "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"See ye tomorrow," Merida agreed. She watched Hiccup turn and begin to walk away, before an urge came over her that she knew, if she didn't act on it, she would regret it.

"Wait," she said, quickly reaching out and grabbing Hiccup's hand, stopping him.

"Huh?" Hiccup questioned, but before he could say anything more, Merida pulled on his arm while at the same time standing on her toes, pulling him over enough so she could kiss him on the cheek. As her lips brushed against his flesh, it seemed like an eternity for the two of them, an electric spark passing between them. Then, all at once, there was a flash of red hair, a hasty bid good night and the closing of a door, and Hiccup stood alone in the hall.

Slowly, his eyes wide, Hiccup brought his hand up to where Merida had kissed him, finding the flesh still warm to the touch. Slowly, the shock wore off, replaced by a growing sense of jubilation. A smirk began to grow on Hiccup's face, quickly becoming a grin, then a smile, then a full-toothed expression of happiness that threatened to tear his face in two.

"Yes!" he whispered to himself, pumping his fists and dancing goofily down the hall, before kicking his door open, humming happily to himself as he readied himself for bed.

Meanwhile, Merida leaned her back against her door, slowly sliding to the floor, a grin on her face along with a blush. She brought her hands up to her face, giggling into them. Yes, this really had been the best birthday ever.

A/N: Yes, this chapter was so fun to write! I've been building up to this for a while, so I hope you guys enjoyed it! Also, yes I realize that Boudica wasn't Scottish, but this is my pseudo-historical fantasy world and I will transpose historical figures as I see fit. But in all seriousness, hope any history buffs out there didn't mind too much. Also hope you guys liked my design for Merida as well. As always, critiques and feedback is always welcome so please review! Later!


	11. Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble

A/N: Before we start, I just wanted to thank all of you guys for making this my most reviewed and all around most successful story I have ever written. It means a lot that so many people are enjoy the story. I hope you all like what's to come! You guys are the best!

**Chapter 11: Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble**

Merida smiled as she made her way down the hill towards the center of the village, Hiccup at her side. It was a smile that she had been wearing since she went to bed the night before, so excited by the previous day's events that she had almost forgotten to change out of her new clothes. Not that she would have minded.

Looking down at her new clothes, she couldn't help but let out a small giggle. Hiccup had been right on the money when he said that she didn't enjoy wearing dresses and the other frilly things that came with being a lady of the Highlands. The freedom and simplicity of the Viking style was much to her tastes. She would have to thank Fishlegs when she finally got a chance to meet him.

Glancing over at Hiccup, she smirked as he quickly turned his head away, the blush on his face making it evident he had been watching her. Things had been slightly awkward since he had come to wake her up that morning, now doubt due to the last second kiss she had given him the night before. Merida still wasn't entirely sure why she had done it, but every part of her seemed to have been urging her too and even with the awkwardness afterwards, she couldn't say that she regretted the choice.

"Sae," Merida spoke up, hoping to break the silence, "Ah ne'er did ask ye whit it is ye dae at th' smithy."

"I'm Gobber's apprentice," Hiccup stated, a confused look on his face, "I thought we went over this already."

"We did," Merida replied with a smirk, "Whit Ah meant was whit exactly dae ye dae fer him?"

"A little bit of everything, I guess" Hiccup replied with a small smile, "Repairs, crafting weapons, armor, and tools. You know, blacksmith stuff. I've made everything from broadswords to nails. Let me tell you, I make a mean nail."

"Ah'm sure ye dae," Merida giggled, causing Hiccup's cheeks to redden.

"I've also tried my hands at inventing before," Hiccup stated, "With vary degrees of success."

"Inventin'?" Merida questioned as they entered the main part of the village, "Whit kind o' thin's hae ye invented?"

"Like I said, I've had varying degrees of success," Hiccup explained, ignoring the looks that he and Merida got, "The variation running between nonfunctional to complete disaster."

"It cudnae hae been 'at bad," Merida stated as the two rounded a corner, bringing the smithy into view, the smoke rising from the chimney signaling that Gobber was already inside.

"I'm still not allowed in the woodcutter's camp after my "automatic woodchopper" almost sliced one of their heads off," Hiccup elaborated, grimacing at the memory, "And that's nothing compared to the Borer."

"Th' Borer?" Merida questioned, a look of concern on her face.

"Trust me, the less I say about that, the better," Hiccup replied as they reached the smithy and opened the door for Merida before following her in, "There are still some hard feelings over that one."

"Whit ane?" Gobber asked, not looking up from his work by the anvil.

"The Borer," Hiccup answered, causing Gobber to hiss as if he was in pain as he looked up at his apprentice, blinking in surprise as he found Merida standing in his shop.

"Princess!" he said, an alarmed look on his face as he set his work and tools aside, "Ah didnae expect tae see ye in here any time soon."

"Ah felt like visitin'," Merida replied with a shrug and a sly smirk, as Hiccup peeled off his vest and put on his heavy, leather apron "Th' woods hae been growin' dreadfully borin'."

"Understandable," Gobber said with a chuckle, before giving Merida a dramatic bow, "Welcome back tae ma humble smithy."

"It's an honor tae return," Merida giggled as she gave him a curtsy, causing Hiccup to laugh as he made his way over to the furnace.

"Ah like yer new look," Gobber complimented, indicating to Merida's new clothing, "Much more befittin'."

"Thank ye," she said with a smile, "An' thank ye fer yer gifts as well. They meant a lot tae me."

"It was nothin'," Gobber said, waving off the compliment, "I was happy tae dae it."

"Thank ye all th' same," Merida repeated, finding a stool and sitting on it.

"Sae, it seems ye an' Hiccup hae turned over a new leaf," Gobber commented, eyeing the two teens with a smile.

"Ah suppose ye can say we hae," Merida replied, looking at Hiccup and smiling shyly at him, causing the young man to blush as he pushed on the billows, stoking the flames within the furnace, "Hiccup showed me Ah was lookin' at thin's th' wrong way."

"Aye, he's been haein' 'at effect on people as o' late," Gobber commented as he turned back to his own work, causing Hiccup to glance at him and smile.

"Ye know, Gobber, Ah've been meanin' tae ask, but why dae ye speak with a Highlander accent?" Merida questioned, raising an eyebrow in Gobber's direction.

The question seemed to startle Gobber, who paused in the middle of swinging his work hammer. The question caught Hiccup's attention, causing him to spin around and stand up while rapidly glancing between Merida and Gobber. Merida's eyes widened in surprise at the Vikings' reactions before she looked over at Hiccup for any sign as to how badly she had just misspoke. Before Hiccup could do anything though, Gobber sighed, catching both of their attentions. A thoughtful, almost forlorn expression cross Gobber's face as he placed his hammer down and lifted his head to look at Merida.

"At's because ma mother was a Highlander, princess," he explained simply.

"She was?" Merida asked in confusion, scrunching her face as she tried to decipher the meaning behind Gobber's words, "Ah hae ne'er heard o' any marriage between th' Highland Kingdoms an' Berk. At least, nae aefore ma own."

As soon as her words mouth, Hiccup let out a painful hiss that told her that her words had not been chosen well.

"'At's because there werenae nae marriage between ma mother an' father," Gobber explained grimly, his expression unreadable.

"Ah…Ah daenae…" Merida mumbled, not comprehending what Gobber was saying.

"Ma mother an' father did nae meet through some diplomatic treaty tae foster peace like ye an' Hiccup," Gobber elaborated, leaning against the anvil, his solemn eyes focused on her confused ones, "They met when ma father raided her village an' took her with him."

Merida gasped in shock as everything became abundantly clear to her, her eyes widening in surprise as she clasped her hands over her gaping mouth.

"Ye mean he…" Merida began but trailed off, the thought to horrible to finish.

"Aye," Gobber confirmed for her, "Closest she got tae a wedding ceremony, Ah suppose. Nine moons later an' here Ah was."

"Oh Gobber, 'at's horrible!" Merida exclaimed, before realizing the kind of impact her words might have on the blacksmith, "Ah mean, nae 'at it means it was terrible ye were born, Ah was jist saying…"

"Ah understand whit ye are sayin', Princess," Gobber cut her off, holding up his good hand to stop her from continuing, "An' it doesnae hurt me none. Ah take nae pride in th' manner o' my birth or th' actions o' ma father in any circumstance."

"It…It sounds like ye…didnae really like yer father," Merida commented, before flinching slightly as Hiccup spun his head around to stick her with a shocked expression, clearly surprised she had the audacity to say something like that.

"Aye, 'at's true," Gobber replied, causing Hiccup to whip his head around to point his shocked look at the blacksmith, "Ah hae nae love fer ma father, Hel take his soul. Th' only thin' th' man was ever good at was drinkin' an' beatin' on women an' children. Ah was lucky he didnae let this shop gae tae rot afore Ah inherited it. Only good thin' th' bastard ever gave tae me."

"He…he sounds like an awful man," Merida stated sympathetically.

"He was," Gobber agreed, "Th' world was a better place after 'at Highlander shot him in th' back as he tried tae run away durin' a raid. When Ah was younger, Ah liked tae think 'at man was ma grandfather, ma mother's father, takin' vengeance."

The shop fell quite after that, Merida looking down at her hands clasped in her lap while Hiccup rubbed his arm and kicked the floor awkwardly. Gobber glanced between the two before turning his attention back to his work, picking up the metal he was working with and reheating it with the brazier before pounding on it again.

"Whit was yer mother like?" Merida questioned, bringing the clanging of hammer on metal back to a sudden stop.

"She was a kind soul," Gobber said after a moment, lowering his arm again but keeping his eyes completely focused on the anvil in front of him, "A lovin', carin' mother who ne'er held th' circumstances o' ma birth against me. She hated ma father more than anyone though. If he had had a grave, Ah'm sure she wud hae danced on it."

"Sae, ye an' her lived with yer father, like some sort o' family?" Merida asked, obviously disgusted by the idea.

"We were a family in th' basest sense," Gobber replied, picking up his work hammer and looking it over, "Ma father ran th' smithy, with me as his reluctant apprentice. Ma mother meanwhile did patchwork an' whatever odd job th' villagers wud let her dae. Nobody trusted her an' fer good reason. Ah've heard many tales aboot how she tried tae escape th' village with me when Ah was a babe, tae say nothin' aboot how many times she tried tae kill my father in his sleep. It was surprising 'at it was ultimately a raid gone bad 'at ended him, but oddly poetic in a way."

"Whit happened after he died?" Merida questioned, inching forward a little bit.

"Ah was only yer age when it happened, still in dragon trainin' with Hiccup's mother an' father…among others," Gobber said solemnly, his eyes clouding with memories which he quickly shook away, "Sae his blacksmithin' duties fell tae his so-called assistant, who in reality was ma grandfather's legitimate apprentice, an' in turn became th' man who actually taught me how tae be a blacksmith. Ma mother meanwhile enjoyed more freedom in th' village as it became clearer 'at with ma life sae firmly entrenched here, she wasnae goin' tae try an' escape any time soon. She was ne'er fully accepted as a member o' th; village, as ye will nae doubt be completely unsurprised tae hear, but she was able tae become a cook fer th' many feasts at th' Great Hall."

There was a pause as a sad look crossed Gobber's face, still examining his hammer as if by looking at it, he could look into the past.

"She took sick an' died nae long after ma twentieth year," Gobber spoke up after a moment, "They wudnae burn her because she wasnae a Viking, sae Ah took her out into th' forest an' buried her th' way she told me th' Highlanders did."

Finally, Gobber lifted his eyes and looked at the two teens, who were looking back at him with matching, sorrowful expressions. Seeing this, an embarrassed look crossed Gobber's face, indicating that he had revealed more than he had previously meant to.

"Anyway," he said quickly, scratching his nose awkwardly, "Ma mother was th' ane responsible fer raisin' me, sae Ah kind o' picked up th' accent from her. Ma father hated it, sae Ah let it stick as a way tae spite him."

"Ah-Ah see," Merida replied, wringing her hands as she tried to think of what to say, "Gobber Ah-"

"Daenae," Gobber cut her off, startling her, "Jist let it lay, Princess."

Merida slowly nodded, turning her gaze away from Gobber, who looked over at Hiccup.

"Daenae ye hae work ye shud be doin', lad?" Gobber questioned, raising an eyebrow at his apprentice.

"R-Right," Hiccup replied, quickly turning back to the furnace, "I'll get on that."

Gobber nodded in approval, turning his attention back to his work, filling the smithy with the sounds of clanging metal as Hiccup and Merida glanced worriedly at each other.

_Later,_

The sun slowly began to peak outside as the noise from work filled the shop, Hiccup holding the pommel of a broadsword as Gobber beat on it mercilessly with a hammer, red hot sparks shooting off of it with every blow.

Merida, meanwhile, had taken a place at Hiccup's design table, flipping through one of his sketchbooks. Merida smiled as she looked at the various designs and drawings Hiccup had sketched on the white pages. She was surprised at how talented he was at the art, adding to the rapidly growing list of skills the young man seemed to possess. Turning a page, Merida's smile grew as she found the sketch he must have drawn while designing her new bow, accompanied by drawings of the carvings he had done on the bow as well as ideas he had scrapped for the design.

Merida figured that would be the end of the sketchbook, but as she moved to close it, she noticed markings on the next page. Flipping it over, her eyes widened in surprise as she let out a small gasp, the sound of which was covered up by the clanging of metal being worked not far away. On the page a drawing had been sketched. A drawing that was clearly of her. Merida's cheeks began to turn pink as she looked at the depiction of her in one of her dresses, her old bow in her hands and an unseen wind blowing through her untamed mane of hair. She was shocked at the level of detail that had been placed in the drawing, especially because Hiccup had to have done it all from memory. From the individual strands of her hair, to the look of determination on her face, to the fletching of the arrow, the individual pieces built up to a picture that simply took Merida's breath away.

Her smile growing as her blush deepened, Merida leaned down to get a closer look at the drawing, before a loud knock came from the smithy door. Merida let out a squeak of surprise, quickly slamming the sketchbook shut as Hiccup and Gobber looked up from their work. Merida discreetly pushed the sketchbook away as Hiccup made his way towards the door, Gobber rolling his eyes behind the Viking teen in exasperation.

"You alright, Merida?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow at her as he walked by on the way to the door, "Your face is a little…red."

"Oh, is it?" Merida questioned, feeling her blush glowing brighter, as she pulled at the collar of her shirt with one hand and fanned herself with the other, "Ah'm alright. It's jist a wee hot in here is all."

"Maybe you should grab some air," Hiccup suggested, "Just let me take care of this. I think I know who it is."

Pulling the door open, Hiccup stared blankly at Fishlegs who was standing nervously just behind the door.

"Hey, Fishlegs," Hiccup greeted, raising an eyebrow at his friend, "What are you doing?"

"I'm here to pick up that new warhammer for my dad," Fishlegs explained, "Is it alright if I come in?"

"Fishlegs, we've already been over this," Hiccup sighed exasperatedly, "You're not banned anymore."

"You sure?" Fishlegs questioned uncertainly.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Hiccup replied with a chuckle, before stepping aside and holding the door open so Fishlegs could enter. Fishlegs smiled as he entered the building, quickly looking around before his eyes widened in surprise as they fell on Merida.

"P-Princess Merida!" Fishlegs choked in surprise, fidgeting nervously before deciding to bow to her, "I-I didn't expect you to be here."

"It's alright Fishlegs, ye daenae hae tae dae any o' 'at," she said with a chuckle, standing from the stool, "Besides, Ah'm nae much o' a princess here anyway."

"Alright," Fishlegs chuckled nervously, "I see you got the clothes my mother made. Do you like them?"

"Ah love them," Merida replied, playing with the hem of her skirt a bit, "Be sure tae give yer mother ma thanks."

"I will," Fishlegs replied with a smile, "My mom was really excited to be making clothes for a princess. It was all I could do to make sure she didn't tell the entire village. My dad thought it was a bad idea, but my mom just ignored him."

"Good on her," Merida replied with a chuckle, before a though occurred to her, "Ye know, we were ne'er formally introduced, were we?"

"I guess not," Fishlegs replied with a chuckle of his own.

"Merida O'DunBroch," Merida stated, holding out her hand for him to shake.

"Fishlegs Ingerman," Fishlegs replied, shaking her hand with a smile.

"Ye know, Ah'm surprised ye an' Gobber werenae at ma party yesterday," Merida commented.

"Oh, that's because Hiccup wanted it to be a "private affair", as he put it," Fishlegs stated with a smirk.

"Och, did he now?" Merida questioned, turning to Hiccup and raising an eyebrow at him, causing the young man to blush.

"'At's enough fraternizin', ye lot," Gobber stated as he walked over with a larger, metal war hammer, "This is a place o' business."

"Sorry, Gobber," Fishlegs apologized, before producing a bag of coins and handing them to Gobber.

"Whit are ye up tae today, Fishlegs?" Merida asked as Gobber hobbled away to count the payment.

"Well, after this, I'll be done with helping my dad," Fishlegs replied, "Why?"

Instead of answering him, Merida turned to address Hiccup,

"When are ye done with work?" she asked him.

"We should be done for the day after we finish shaping this sword," Hiccup answered.

Nodding, Merida turned her attention back to Fishlegs.

"Why daenae ye gae brin' 'at tae yer father an' then meet us back here," Merida stated, motioning towards the hammer, "Hiccup shud be done by th' time ye get back. After 'at we can all spend some time together."

"Sounds good," Fishlegs agreed, before hefting the hammer onto his shoulder and exiting the smithy. Merida turned and looked back at Hiccup, who was smiling warmly at her.

"Well, danae jist stand there, get ae work," Merida ordered, making a shooing motion at him, "We daenae hae all day, after all."

Hiccup could only chuckle and hold his hands up in a helpless gesture as he returned to work, Merida smiling at him as he went.

_Later,_

The mid-afternoon sun cut through the dark green canopy of the woods, covering the ground in long shadows. Merida, Hiccup and Fishlegs made their way through the woods, chatting idly with each other. Merida was in the lead, her new bow and quiver slung over her shoulders.

"Ah still cannae believe 'at Gobber is half-Highlander," Merida said as she hopped over a rock, "Ah mean, Ah guess Ah shud hae been able tae figure it out, but it jist ne'er occurred tae me 'at something like 'at happened."

"It happens a lot actually," Fishlegs explained, ducking beneath a low hanging branch, "Pretty much every Viking village does it to some degree. I've heard it called 'bringing in new blood.'"

"'At's…horrible," Merida whispered, pausing to look back at Fishlegs with a look of horror and disgust, "Ye're sayin' this happens a lot here in Berk?"

"Not a lot here, just in Viking tribes in general," Hiccup explained, walking up next to her and placing his hand on her shoulder, "Berk tends to be a lot more insular and take very…unkindly to outsiders."

"Aye, Ah've noticed," Merida replied grimly.

"So Gobber's case is kind of a strange one," Hiccup continued, squeezing her shoulder to reassure her, "From what I know, a lot of people gave him a hard time over it."

"'At's sae terrible," Merida sighed, shaking her head sadly as the three of them continued on deeper into the forest, "Ah daenae understand why people always hate somethin' 'at's different."

"I think it's because new things, things they don't understand, scares people," Hiccup explained as they reached a small creek, over which a fallen tree was laid. Merida hopped up onto it, holding her arms to her side to retain her balance as she began to cross, Hiccup and Fishlegs following her.

"People don't like to be scared, so they treat the new thing hostilely," Hiccup continued as they reached the other side and hopped off, "It's just kind of how people work."

"Doesnae make it right," Merida commented, glancing over her shoulder at Hiccup.

"I know," Hiccup agreed with a shrug, "Just an explanation is all."

"Wish we cud dae somethin' fer Gobber," Merida said with a sigh as she stepped over a patch of brush, "Ah mean did ye notice somethin' aboot his accent?"

Hiccup paused and looked at Fishlegs, who shrugged.

"No, not really," Hiccup admitted, stepping over the brush, Fishlegs following him.

"He sounds exactly like Lord Macintosh," Merida explained, "Ah wonder if Gobber's mother was from Macintosh lands. Maybe she was even a member o' th' clan!"

"Maybe," Hiccup said with another shrug of his shoulders, while Fishlegs began to look around at the surrounding area in confusion, "But how could we ever figure that out?"

Merida sighed, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, realizing she didn't have an answer to that. As she did, Fishlegs continued to look around in confusion, spinning in place as he lifted a finger, signaling there was something he couldn't quite figure out.

"Uh guys," he said, catching Merida and Hiccup's attentions, "Where are we?"

At the question, Merida and Hiccup blinked in confusion, before looking around at the surrounding area before realizing that they were also didn't recognize the patch of woods they were in.

"I'm not sure," Hiccup replied, "I don't think I've ever been in this part of the woods either. Have you Merida? You've been exploring a lot lately."

"Nae, Ah daenae think Ah've been in this part either," Merida admitted, turning in place looking in every direction, "Dae either o' ye remember which way th' village was?"

Hiccup looked at Fishlegs who grimaced and shrugged his shoulders, causing Hiccup to turn back to Merida and shake his head.

"Damn," Merida swore, before glancing around, "Well, Ah guess we shud jist start walkin' until we get our bearins back. It's a small island after all"

The others nodded and followed Merida as she pushed her way through some brush. The path was hard going at first, with thorns and briars grabbing at their clothes and occasionally scratching their skin. Eventually though, the brush opened up, making their going easier. As they continued, Merida suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as a chill went through her body.

"Did ye lads feel 'at?" she asked, pausing and looking over her shoulder at the boys with wide eyes, the boys nodding in reply.

"What was that?" Fishlegs questioned.

"Ah daenae know," Merida replied, shaking her head before turning around and continuing through the brush.

Brushing some bushes aside, Merida revealed a large clearing on the other side. The three teenagers gasped in shock and awe as they stepped into the clearing, their eyes widening in surprise. The clearing was dominated by a dozen large standing stones, spaced equally from each other and forming a perfect circle. The stones each stood over ten feet tall and were seemingly cut from solid rock before being placed in their current positions. Some were topped with smaller rocks, balanced on the top. There were even two stones placed close together, holding up a third one and forming an arch. The rocks seemed immeasurably old, worn by weather and wind, with moss covering the bottom of most of them.

"Wow," Hiccup said as he stepped out into the clearing with the others.

"Sun above," Merida whispered in awe, before turning to Hiccup, "Ye didnae tell me there was a standin' stone circle on th' island."

"That's because there isn't," Fishlegs spoke up, looking around as they crept closer to the stone circle, "At least, there shouldn't. Vikings have lived on this island for generations, they've explored every inch of this island. I think they would have found this before."

"An' yet, here it is," Merida stated, reaching out and touching one of the stones, feeling its cold, smooth surface.

"And yet, here it is," Fishlegs repeated with a nod.

"But why is it here?" Hiccup questioned.

"Well, standin' stone circles are sacred places," Merida explained, "They're supposed tae have a connection tae th' world o' th' Fey."

"Fey?" Hiccup questioned.

"Spirits," Fishlegs elaborated, "Fairy folk."

As Fishlegs and Hiccup talked, Merida edged closer to the circle. Taking a deep breath, she crossed the invisible threshold into the inside of the circle. As she did, she felt a chill run down her spine.

"Merida," Hiccup spoke up, looking at her in concern, "Are you alright?"

"Aye," Merida replied, looking over her shoulder at him and giving him a small smile, "It's jist 'at-"

Merida was interrupted by a strange sound that suddenly came from behind her, causing her to stop cold, looking at the boys were staring at something behind her, their eyes wide in surprise.

Before Merida could say anything more, the sound came again, sounding almost like the murmuring of a child. Turning around, Merida found a small, blue specter hovering the air a few inches from her face, glowing blue like an ethereal flame. It murmured at her again, causing her eyes to go wide and her jaw to go slack from shock.

"W-What is it?" Fishlegs whispered hesitantly.

"Ah…Ah think it's a wisp," Merida said, her eyes completely focused on the creature before her, which only seemed interested in watching her.

"What's a wisp?" Hiccup questioned, edging hesitantly towards her.

"It's a type o' Fey," Merida replied, as she hesitantly began to lift her hand out to touch the wisp, "It's said they can lead ye-Oh!"

Just as her fingers were about to touch it, the wisp suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke, giving another murmur as it went. The others looked at around to see if they could find where the wisp had gone, only for another murmur to catch their attention as the wisp reappeared a few feet away near the center of the circle. Looking at it, they saw that it was moving its arms in a way that made it look like it was beckoning them.

"…tae yer destiny," Merida finished, her eyes wide.

"What's it doing?" Fishlegs questioned.

"I think it wants us to follow it," Hiccup stated. Before the boys could say anything more, Merida began walking towards the wisp.

"Merida!" Hiccup whispered harshly, holding his hand out in futile attempt to stop her, "What are you doing?"

"It wants us tae follow it, doesnae it?" Merida replied, glancing over her shoulder at Hiccup.

"That doesn't mean we should!" Hiccup stated nervously.

"Oh come, Hiccup, where's yer sense o' adventure?" Merida teased, smirking at him.

"Back in the village, where it's safe," Hiccup deadpanned, hesitantly following Merida, who chuckled and shook her head at him, before turning her attention back to the wisp which was still beckoning them. Fishlegs meanwhile gulped nervously before following as well.

As they got closer to it, Merida reached out and tried to touch the wisp again, only for it vanish a second time. A second passed before it reappeared on the opposite side of the stone circle. This time, however, it wasn't alone. Behind it, forming a line down a previously unseen path, were dozens of other wisps, each of them beckoning the three teenagers to follow them. The three of them stared at the wisps in amazement.

"Alright," Hiccup relented, not taking his eyes away from the wisps, "Maybe we should follow them."

Merida peeked over at him and smirked before she began to follow after the wisps, each one disappearing as she drew close to it, the two boys trailing behind her. The path led through a dark, tightly packed stretch off woods, the branches of the gnarled trees forming a canopy above them, making the path seem like a tunnel. Eventually, the path ended at clearing, Hiccup noticing the tunnel exit passing under the exposed roots of a large and ancient tree.

As they entered the clearing, the wisps led them to the right, where the three saw a small cottage. The cottage looked like it had been built into the hillside, the roof actually being a grassy knoll that sat upon the house, a ring of white stone's designating the edge of the roof. The walls of the cottage were made of hewn, white stone, with the only break in their uniformity being a wooden door in an alcove.

"Lads?" Merida spoke up, catching Hiccup and Fishlegs' attention, "Is there supposed tae be someone livin' this far out in th' woods?"

"Not that I ever heard of," Hiccup replied, looking at the cottage in confusion.

"Me either," Fighlegs agreed, scratching his head.

Slowly, Merida began to inch forward, following the wisps as they continued to beckon her towards the cottage, the boys following her hesitantly. As Merida reached the door to the cottage, the wisps vanished all together, leaving her at a loss to what she should do. Looking at the door, Merida carefully raised her hand, curling her fingers into a fist as she prepared to knock.

"Hello," a voice said from behind them, causing the three teenagers to jump and let out simultaneous cries of surprise.

Spinning around, the three found an old woman standing behind them. In fact, she looked positively ancient. She had greyish white hair which swept away from her face in an almost solid shape that ran down her to the middle of her back. Her fair skin was wrinkled with innumerable frown lines, crow's feet and other assorted signs of aging. She stood with an extremely hunched posture, resting most of her weight on the gnarled walking stick he had. She wore a simple, dark green dress under a lighter colored shawl. A mismatched pair of earrings hung from her lobes and Merida couldn't help but notice the few white whiskers that grew from her chin. A sleek black raven sat on her shoulder, eyeing them curiously.

"…Hi," Hiccup said after a moment, wiggling his fingers at her.

"My, I don't get many fisitors," the woman said with a thick accent that Merida couldn't identify, "Vat are all you young folk doing out here?"

"Um, well…you see…" Hiccup mumbled as he tried to come up with an explanation.

"We got…" Fishlegs began, nervously playing with his hands.

"…lost," Merida finished, "An' then we kind o'…"

"Followed zee lights," the woman stated, smiling knowingly at the three of them, causing them to look at her in surprise.

"How did you know that?" Hiccup questioned.

"I'm an old voman, dearie," the woman replied, her smile growing, "I have my vays."

"Who are you anyway?" Fishlegs questioned.

"Just a simple voodcarfer," the woman replied, moving past the three of them as they stepped aside, allowing her to open the door to the cottage and step inside, "Come in, vill you?"

"Hiccup," Merida whispered as they moved to follow the old woman, "Whit is 'at accent she has?"

"I…I think its Old Norse," Hiccup replied hesitantly as they stepped inside, "It's been awhile since I heard anyone speak with that accent though."

Inside, the cottage had a very comfortable, if cluttered, feeling to it. Most of the room just passed the door was filled with wood carvings of all sorts of sizes and designs sitting on tables and shelves throughout the building. A work table sat not far away from them, covered in wood shavings, sawdust, woodworking tools and half-finished carvings.

The next room was apparently some sort of kitchen, dominated mostly by a large, black iron cauldron that sat in the center of the room, filled with some unidentifiable liquid. The shelves in this room held vials and jars in which there were more ingredients then any of them could reasonably identify. A small wooden table, surrounded by four chairs sat next to the cauldron.

Off to the side they could see a door leading to another room, where they could just make out a bed, signifying the room's use.

"Come in, come in," the woman beckoned, "Hafe a seat."

"Thank ye, uh…" Merida began to say before thought occurred to her, "Ye ne'er did tell us yer name."

"You nefer asked," the woman replied cryptically as Hiccup and Fishlegs took seats as well, the three teenagers sharing confused glances.

"What is your name?" Hiccup questioned.

"I'fe had many names ofer zee years, dear boy," the woman replied enigmatically as she eased herself into the last chair, "But you? You can call me Hilde."

"Well…Hilde…I'm-" Hiccup began but the old woman held up her hand to quite him.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock zee Zird," Hilde stated smiling at Hiccup's shocked expression, "I know vho you are."

She turned to look at Merida and Fishlegs, who were also looking at her in astonishment.

"I know vho you both of you are too," Hilde stated, "Fishlegs Ingerman and Princess Merida O'DunBroch."

"How…How dae ye know all o' this?" Merida asked in confusion.

"Like I said," Hilde replied with a shrug, "An old voman has her vays."

The three teens looked at each other in confusion again, before Merida turned her attention back to Hilde.

"How did ye know aboot th' wisps?" Merida questioned.

"I hafe lived in this forest for a fery long time," Hilde explained, "I hafe learned to interact with all manner of creature that calls it home. In schort, zee visps are my friends and I zeirs."

"You're friends with the wisps?" Hiccup asked in shock, "I didn't even know they existed until today."

"As you vill no doubt discover, Reiter, zere is much in zis vorld you do not know about," Hidle stated warmly.

"Why did they brin' us here?" Merida questioned.

"Vhy does anyone do anyzing?" Hilde replied with a shrug, "Because zey vanted to."

"But Ah grew up hearin' tales o' how wisps were connected tae fate," Merida said, clearly unsatisfied with the woman's answer, "Ah heard they lead a person tae their destiny."

"I vouldn't know anyzing about destiny or fate, Jager," Hidle stated with a laugh, "I just know zee little creatures bring people to me from time to time."

"Did they tell you about us?" Hiccup questioned, "Is that how you knew our names?"

"Names are not hard to find, Reiter," Hilde explained, "I know your names and so much more."

"More?" Hiccup asked.

"Kind says zee trees," she replied, smiling at him, "Clever says zee wind. Oh yes, Reiter, I know much more zan your name."

The three teenagers looked at her in shock, before Fishlegs finally managed to find his voice after a long while of silence.

"What…what are you?" Fishlegs asked.

"Just a voodcarfer, Leser," Hilde replied with a smile as she pushed herself to her feet, "Just a voodcarfer. Now, vould you three like some dinner?"

_Later_,

"Thank ye fer dinner, Hilde," Merida thanked the older woman as she, Hiccup and Fishlegs stood outside Hilde's cottage, "It was delicious."

"You're too kind, Jager," Hilde replied with a smile, waving the complement away, "I'm just glad to hafe someone to cook dinner for again. Gods know zis one doesn't appreciate it."

As she spoke, she indicated to the raven sitting on her shoulder, causing it to caw as if offended, earning chuckles from the three teenagers.

"I guess we should be getting back now," Hiccup said, stretching his arms above his head and yawning.

"The only problem is we still don't know which way is back," Fishlegs pointed out, causing the other two to sigh as they remembered.

"Oh, zat's no problem, dearies," Hilde said, leading them away from her house before turning them around to face the forest. As she did, they noticed a path leading away that they had not seen before, cutting through the trees and brush.

"Just follow zat path and it vill lead you shtraight to zee village," Hilde said from behind them, "And don't be schy about coming back, I do love company."

"But Hilde how dae we find our…" Merida began to say, turning around to talk to the older woman, but froze in her tracks as her eyes widened in shock. The boys noticed and turned around as well, shock striking them as well. The old woman had vanished, along with her cottage. Instead, the three now stood back at the standing stone circle, directly in front of the arch. A howling wind swept over the clearing as the three teenagers stood stock still in the moonlight.

"Well," Fishlegs spoke up after a moment, "I'm done."

With that, the Viking boy turned around and began walking down the path, clearly restraining himself from flat out running away. Hiccup moved to follow him, but noticed Merida continued to stand where she was, looking at the standing stones with a mixture of shock and awe.

"Merida," he said gently, but received no response, "Merida, come on."

Trying to think of a way to catch her attention, Hiccup looked down at Merida's hands, which hung loosely at her sides. Flexing his own hand nervously, Hiccup bit his lip in indecision before taking a calming breath and reached out to take her hand in his. The feel of skin upon her own seemed to snap Merida back to reality, her eyes blinking rapidly as if she were coming out of a slumber. Slowly, she turned and looked down at Hiccup's hand holding hers, before bringing her eyes back up to look into his.

"Come on, let's go home," he said, smirking at her, his nerves calming as he looked into her eyes, "I'm sure we'll be able to find her again."

A blush colored Merida's cheeks for a moment, before she smiled at him, turning to face him as she interlocked their fingers.

"Alright," Merida replied, stepping up beside him as they began to make their way down the path, their hands remaining clasped until they had reached home.

A/N: I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. Not super serious, just a lot of my favorite characters interacting, as well as building the setting a little more. And I got to introduce the witch, who was an absolute blast to write. I changed her to a less comedic character, so I hope you guys liked her, because she's very important to the story. Also hope you guys liked my take on Gobber's history. Either way, as always, feedback and critiques are always welcome so please review! Later!


	12. Toil and Trouble

**Chapter 12: Toil and Trouble**

Astrid was not a morning person. Not by any stretch of the imagination. So, when the morning sunlight filtered in through her window, splashing across her face, she growled as if she had been personally insulted, which as far as she was concerned, she had. Rolling over, she attempted to block out the rising sun and the coming of morning, but try as she might, she could not fall back to sleep. Sighing, glared at her bedroom wall for a few moments before deciding to get up.

Throwing her blankets off, Astrid rolled out of bed and quickly got dressed. Slipping on her boots, Astrid hustled down the stairs of her simple home, planning to grab some food from the kitchen and be on her way. She figured if she had to be up, she might as well get started on the day.

Her mother apparently had other ideas though.

"You're up early," Bertha said from her seat at their simple kitchen table, watching the dying embers of the fire from the night before in the fireplace.

"Not by choice," Astrid replied gruffly as she began looking around the kitchen for food, eventually settling upon an apple, "Going to head out, get an early start on my chores."

"Actually," Bertha said, holding up a hand and stopping Astrid as she was reaching for the door, "Sit down. I wanted to talk to you."

"Can this wait?" Astrid asked in confusion, indicating towards the door, "I'd rather get this stuff done."

"Sit down," Bertha repeated, fixing Astrid with a cold, hard look. Astrid continued looking at her mother in confusion but followed her request and sat down in another rickety wooden chair facing the older woman.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Astrid questioned, raising an eyebrow at Bertha.

"You need to leave the Highlander girl alone," Bertha stated simply.

"What?" Astrid asked incredulously, not understanding what her mother was saying, "Why the Hel would you want me to do that?"

"You're causing trouble that the village doesn't need," Bertha replied calmly.

"I'm causing trouble!" Astrid repeated, letting out a shocked laugh, leaning forward and placing her hands flat against the table, "You think I'm the one causing trouble and not the sissy princess prancing around and acting like she's better than us!?"

"Listen, I know you have a problem with Highlanders…" Bertha began to say but was cut off by Astrid banging her fist against the table.

"I have a problem with Highlanders!?" Astrid shouted, glaring at Bertha, as she stood up, knocking her chair over and causing it to clatter onto the floor, "You say that like this whole village doesn't have a problem with Highlanders! Like you don't have a problem with Highlanders! What, because the chief is marrying his sniveling weakling of a son to their vapid brat of a princess means you're going to play nice with people who killed my father!?"

"Don't you dare suggest that I have forgotten what they did to your father!" Bertha roared back, standing up and knocking over her chair as well, meeting Astrid's glare with one of her own, "The difference is that I can see the bigger picture, unlike you."

"What bigger picture?" Astrid said, leaning back and looking at Bertha like she was stupid, "What are you talking about?"

"What you're failing to understand is your actions are putting a heavy strain on this alliance," Bertha explained, "If you don't stop this, you could cause this entire alliance to come crashing down around us."

"Well, what if that's a good thing!?" Astrid asked angrily, "We've done fine on our own for generations. Why do we need their help!?"

"Because our enemies are closing in on us from every side!" Bertha exclaimed, "Every dragon attack or Vendal raid leaves us a little weaker, a little more hurt, while they seem to be without limit. If we do not do something we will be overrun. And you would have us turn an ally into an enemy?"

Astrid said nothing, choosing instead to cross her arms and glare at the table.

"You're a smart girl, you don't need me to puzzle this out," Bertha sighed as she walked over to her daughter's side of the table and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm not asking you to be friends with her; I'm not even asking you to like her. What I am asking you to do is lay off her, and make sure you're friends do as well."

Astrid said nothing, continuing to look at the table, prompting Bertha to reach down and cup her daughter's chin, lifting it so she could look the teenager in the eyes.

"Your father would be proud of you for trying to defend his memory," Bertha stated, giving Astrid a smile, "But I think he would be more proud if you worked to defend the village he died for."

"Okay," Astrid relented, sighing and averting her gaze.

"There's my girl," Bertha replied proudly, letting go of Astrid's chin before nodding to the door, "Now, go take care of your chores."

Astrid nodded and made her way out of the house, grabbing the apple she had been planning on eating before leaving. She sighed as she stood on her porch, looking up at the sky as she palmed the apple. Looking up at the sky, she squinted angrily at the sun, grumbling to herself as she made her way towards the village.

No, Astrid was not a morning person.

_Later,_

A few days had passed since the three teenagers' encounter with Hilde deep within the woods. Merida had spent much of her time combing the forest with Angus, accompanied by Hiccup and Fishlegs when they could spare the time. Every time resulted in nothing. No wisps, no standing stones, no old woman in the forest. At times, Merida found herself wondering if she and the boys had imagined the whole thing, but in reality, she knew that the old woman was somehow keeping them from finding her and would only reveal herself again when she wanted to.

"So you think she's hiding her house from us?" Hiccup questioned as the three of them made their way through the village, cocking a questioning eyebrow at her.

"Aye," she said plainly, not understanding his questioning attitude.

"And you think she hid the standing stones somehow too?" Hiccup continued to ask.

"Aye," Merida continued looking at him in confusion, "Whit, dae ye nae believe me?"

"No, it's just I think it all sounds too…" Hiccup trailed off, waving his hand through the air as he tried to find the right words for what he was thinking, "Magicy"

"Aye, 'at's whit Ah'm sayin', she's usin' magic," Merida stated, giving Hiccup a dubious look, "Are ye sayin' ye daenae believe in magic?"

"I'm not a big fan of believing in things I can't see with my own eyes," Hiccup explained.

"Well, don't let Gothi here you say that," Fishlegs commented.

"Aye, an' daes 'at mean ye didnae believe th' story Ah told ye aboot Rapunzel?" Merida question, looking at him crossly, "An' ye saw whit happened when we left Hilde's, ye were there! How else dae ye explain 'at!?"

"I don't know!" Hiccup said in surprise, holding up his hands defensively, "I'm just saying maybe we shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"Wow, you're first disagreement," Fishleg's commented with a chuckle, "Now you guys really are a couple."

The comment caused Merida and Hiccup to blush bright red as their voices died in their throats. They looked at each other, causing their faces to redden even further, before quickly looking away, Merida crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the ground, her hair curtaining around her face while Hiccup chose to look off into the distance, scratching the back of his neck. Fishleg's covered his mouth as he chortled happily to himself.

After an awkward moment, Hiccup began to chuckle too, quickly followed by Merida before all three of them were laughing openly. Smiling, Merida and Hiccup turned to look at each other.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Hiccup apologized, "I mean I didn't believe in wisps until a few days ago. What do I know about magic?"

"Ah'm sorry too, Ah shudnae hae snapped at ye," Merida replied, slowly holding out her hand towards him. His smile growing, Hiccup reached out and took it into his, their fingers intertwining. The movement had become more natural for them over the past few days. Sometimes they found themselves not even talking to one another, just sitting and enjoying the feel of each other's hands in their own. They looked into each other's eyes for a few moments, their smiles growing as their cheeks continued to glow pink.

"Aw, isn't that cute," a voice that put all three of them instantly on edge mocked, "They're holding hands."

All three of the turned and glared at Snotlout, who was approaching them along with Astrid, Tuffnut and Ruffnut.

"What do you want, Snotlout?" Hiccup questioned as Merida glared at Astrid.

"Just saw you and your lady friend, and decided to say hi," Snotlout explained with a shrug, before glancing at Merida, "And the princess was here too."

Fishlegs bristled under the insult, glaring at Snotlout and clenching his hands into fists, earning a snicker from the boy.

"What's the matter, Fishlegs?" Snotlout sneered at the larger boy, "Is it that time of the month again?"

The comment caused Astrid and Merida to abruptly break from their glaring contest to turn their ire towards Snotlout, Ruffnut throwing in a glare of her own as well, all of which the boy remained oblivious to as he continued to sneer at Fishlegs. Tuff nut chuckled at the joke, causing the three girls to turn their glares towards him, successfully cowing the lanky boy into silence.

Shaking her head, Astrid turned and looked at Merida, quickly glancing her over, raising an eyebrow as she did.

"Where did you get those clothes?" Astrid questioned.

"They were a gift," Merida explained, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Astrid, "Ma birthday was a few days ago."

"So what, you think you're one of us now?" Astrid asked, her frown deepening, "It would take a Hel of a lot more than that to make you one of us, Highlander."

"Ah ne'er said Ah wanted tae be a Viking," Merida stated, her fingers clenching into a fist.

"Oh, now we're not good enough for you, huh?" Astrid asked, taking a step forward, her friends grinning at her. Merida moved to step towards Astrid, but was stopped when Hiccup, his hand still entwined with hers, tugged her back, pulling the redhead off balance and stepping between her and the Viking girl. Astrid gave Hiccup a bemused smile as she raised her eyebrow at him as Merida looked at the back of his head in surprise.

"Fighting your girlfriend's battles for her, shrimp?" Astrid questioned, causing Snotlout and the others to chuckle.

"No, I'm trying to make sure there's not a battle at all," Hiccup replied, his gaze locking with Astrid's as he gave Merida's hand a squeeze, "These fights we all keep having aren't helping anyone. They have to stop. I don't know about you, but I don't want a repeat of what happened in the forest a month ago."

Astrid narrowed her eyes at Hiccup as she clenched her hands into fists. Who did he think he was, telling her what to do? If she wanted to fight the stupid brat then she would. Then, all of a sudden, what her mother had told her that morning came flooding back to her. She almost let her emotions get the better of her again. Here she was picking fights in the street after her mother had made it abundantly clear that it was a bad idea. Gods, what was she, five? Meanwhile, Hiccup managed to keep his cool, thinking of the village before himself. If there was one thing she wouldn't stand for, it would be looking like a fool next to Hiccup the Useless.

"Yeah," Astrid agreed neutrally, shooting a glance towards Merida and subconsciously rubbing a spot on her face where the other girl had hit her, "I suppose we don't want that."

"What!?" Snotlout exclaimed, as the twins looked at her in confusion, "What the Hel do you mean!?"

"Look, Snotlout, unlike some people," Astrid said while pointedly looking at Hiccup and Merida, "We're going to be going into dragon training soon. We can't be going around picking fights with other people in the village, no matter who they are."

Looking over towards Snotlout, Astrid smiled.

"Besides," she stated, "Didn't the runt kick your ass once already? You so eager for a repeat performance?"

"Probably not," Ruffnut spoke up with a chuckle elbowing her brother in the stomach, "Seeing as they lied about it afterwards too."

The girls laughed as Tuffnut looked at the ground in embarrassment, rubbing the spot where his sister had hit him. Snotlout, meanwhile, visibly seethed, grinding his teeth together as his fists shook with barely controlled rage. Hearing more laughter, he glanced over at the other three, seeing Merida laughing as she beamed at Hiccup, who smiled sheepishly back at her. That was the last straw for Snotlout and he began stomping towards Hiccup, his face red from a mixture of anger and humiliation.

"You think that's funny, wimp!?" Snotlout snapped, pointing his finger at Hiccup as he stomped towards his cousin, "I'll show you something funny!"

Before he could reach Hiccup though, Merida suddenly stepped between them, pushing Hiccup back as she glared at Snotlout.

"What? The runt sending a princess to fight his battles now?" Snotlout mocked, chuckling to himself.

"Nae. Like Astrid said, Hiccup already whooped ye ance," Merida replied evenly, earning a glare from Snotlout, "Ah'm jist hopin' tae get a crack at ye, seein' as Ah'm th' anly ane o' us three 'at haenae got a chance tae knock ye on yer arse, ye simperin' lowlife."

"Oooooo I'm so scared," Snotlout mocked, rolling his eyes and making a face at Merida, causing her icy blue eyes to narrow, "Please don't hurt me, little princess!"

"I wouldn't get too cocky, Snotlout," Astrid stated, "She's tougher than she looks."

Merida glanced at Astrid, raising an eyebrow at the other girl, who only shrugged in reply.

"What, are you her best friend now, or something?" Snotlout questioned, turning to look at Astrid.

"Hardly," Astrid replied, glaring at Snotlout, "Just trying to keep you from making a bigger fool of yourself than you already have."

"Whatever," Snotlout said, waving his hand dismissively at Astrid while taking a step away from Merida, "I have better things to do than hang around with you losers. After all, I'm the one who's going to be training to kill dragons, while you, cuz?"

Snotlout sneered as his eyes met with Hiccup, who glared back at him.

"You're going to get to make the sword I do it with," Snotlout stated, his smile growing as he saw Hiccup's face fall. He turned his gaze towards Merida, who had taken a step towards him as she continued to glare.

"As for you, Princess," Snotlout said, leering at her, taking a step back towards her "Once you get tired of this loser, you know where to find me. I'm sure I can show you a good time."

As Hiccup bristled angrily, Snotlout reached out and attempted to cup Merida's chin.

"I wonder if what they say about redhead's is true?" he stated.

Before he could touch her, Merida hand snapped out and grabbed his wrist before giving it a hard twist. As Snotlout let out a cry of pain, Merida punched him hard in the face, sending the Viking boy falling to the ground as she let go of his hand.

"It is," Merida replied calmly, bending over so she could get closer to Snotlout, who sat on the ground in a daze, "Daenae ever try tae touch me again, Snotface."

Snotlout looked at her dumbly for a few moments before bringing his hand up to his nose, which was beginning to trickle blood. Seeing this, he suddenly seemed to snap back to reality, glaring at Merida as she smirked back at him. Growling in anger, he scrambled to his feet as Merida took a few steps backwards, still smirking at him.

"You little bi-" Snotlout began as he tried to lunge at Merida, but was stopped when Astrid stepped in front of him, placing her hands against his shoulders and catching him before he could get any closer to her.

"Whoa there," Astrid said, as Snotlout stumbled to a stop, "It's over. That's all three of them now that have knocked you on your ass. I warned you about making a fool out of yourself and now you have. Walk it off before you do something worse."

"Are you kidding me!?" Snotlout shouted in Astrid's face.

"No, I am not kidding you," Astrid growled, reaching down and grabbed Snotlout's chin with her hand, squishing his cheeks together so his lips became comically puckered, as she glared into his eyes, "And if I ever hear you talking like that to another girl again, I'll do a lot worse than the princess ever could to you. Got it?"

Snotlout nodded quickly, his features paling as he noted the intensity of Astrid's words.

"Good," Astrid replied before releasing him, "Now, go clean yourself up."

Snotlout grumbled, wiping his still bleeding nose as he shot Merida, Hiccup and Fishlegs a final glare before storming off. Tuffnut moved to follow him, before turning and looking at Merida, a smirk on his face.

"Your clothes look stupid!" he said, pointing at the Highland princess.

"My mom made those clothes," Fishlegs pointed out.

"Yeah, so?" Tuffnut asked in confusion.

"She made yours too," Fishlegs deadpanned, looking at Tuffnut like the other boy was the stupidest person in the world.

"Oh," Tuffnut replied sheepishly, looking down at his clothes as Ruffnut palmed her face next to him, "Well, they still look dumb."

"Come on, idiot," Ruffnut said, rolling her eyes as she placed a hand on Tuffnut's shoulder and began leading him away, "Let's get out of here before you cramp your brain."

"Well, he certainly has a way with words," Merida commented with a chuckle as she watched the twins leave. Turning, she found Astrid still standing a few feet off, watching the others go before turning her attention back to the three other teenagers.

"Ah guess Ah shud thank ye," Merida stated, a measure of awkwardness in her voice.

"Don't bother, I didn't do it for you," Astrid replied, her eyes narrowing again, "This doesn't change anything between us, Princess. I'm not your ally, I'm not your friend, I'm not your anything. What I am is too busy to deal with the likes of you. So if you want to hang around with your useless boyfriend and his bookworm klutz of a best friend, be my guest."

With that, she turned on her heel and left, giving a mocking wave without looking at them as she went.

"Later, losers," she said before turning a corner and disappearing into the village. Merida bristled as she watched Astrid go, her hands shaking as she clenched them into fists.

"Ooooo Ah hate her sae much," Merida growled, stomping her foot in frustration.

"I think the feeling might be mutual," Fishlegs commented as Hiccup placed a hand on Merida's shoulder in order to calm her down.

"Don't let her get to you, Merida," Hiccup stated, looking at her with concern.

"It's not me Ah'm worried aboot," Merida replied, turning her head and looking Hiccup in the eye, "How can ye let her talk aboot ye like 'at?"

"I'm used to it," Hiccup replied with a melancholy shrug.

"Well, ye shudnae be," Merida stated, reaching up and taking his hand in hers, "Ah daenae like hearin' people puttin' ye down."

"Thanks," Hiccup said, smiling at her as his cheeks began to turn pink.

"O' course," Merida replied nonchalantly, her shrug doing little to hide the reddening of her face.

"Ah Gods," Fishlegs sighed, "You know, I'm happy you two are getting along so well, but there's only so much of this lovey-dovey stuff that I can take."

"Sorry," Hiccup and Merida chuckled at the same time, causing all three of them to laugh when they realized the two had spoken in unison.

"Come on, let's get oot o' here," Merida suggested, "Ah think Ah've hae jist aboot as much o' th' village as Ah can stomach fer taeday."

_Later,_

Merida, Hiccup and Fishlegs wandered aimlessly through the forest, idly chatting with each other and enjoying one another's company.

"Sae, why arenae ye allowed in this 'dragon trainin''?" Merida questioned Hiccup as they crossed a clearing in the woods.

"I guess my dad doesn't think I'm really…up to task for it," Hiccup replied with a sigh, stepping over a fallen branch as they made their way into a thicker part of the woods.

"That's putting it mildly," Fishlegs commented, ducking below a low hanging branch.

"Whit's sae important aboot this trainin' anyway?" Merida asked, skipping over a rock that jutted out of the forest floor.

"Viking culture all comes down to killing things," Fishlegs explained, as they continued, "And there is no greater thing a Viking can kill than a dragon."

"Sae, it's all aboot teachin' ye how tae kill dragons?" Merida questioned.

"And how to defend yourselves from them," Fishlegs added sagely, "The best offence is a good defense."

"But yeah, basically," Hiccup stated, shrugging his shoulders.

"Sae, why wonae they let ye or I dae it?" Merida questioned, stepping over an exposed root, "Seems like they shud make sure everyone in th' village knows how tae fight a dragon."

"Well, for one thing, dragon training is done with live dragons," Hiccup explained.

"Did ye say live dragons!?" Merida asked, turning around to look at Hiccup with a shocked look on her face.

"Yep, which is why everyone is not automatically allowed to do it," Fishlegs explained, "We don't want to throw someone to a hungry dragon if we know they can't fight it off."

"Sae, 'at's why they wonae let ye dae it," Merida surmised, eyeing Hiccup.

"That, and my dad is the one who ultimately decides who can and can't be trained," Hiccup elaborated, "Which is also probably why most people think you won't be allowed to train."

"Aye, Ah can understand 'at," Merida stated, tapping her chin thoughtfully, "Da wudnae be too happy if Ah got eaten by a dragon on Stoick's watch."

"The fact you're a Highlander probably doesn't help either," Fishlegs stated, as he continued into the woods, "The village probably doesn't want you learning any of their secret dragon fighting techniques."

"Secret techniques?" Merida deadpanned, cocking an eyebrow at Fishlegs.

"Yeah, we have plenty," Fishlegs replied defensively, crossing his arm over his chest.

"I would trust him, Merida," Hiccup stated with a chuckle, "Fishlegs has been an avid reader since before he could walk. He's read every book and scroll that this island has, including the Dragon Manual cover to cover. He's got a mind like a steel trap too. Once any little bit of information goes in there, it never comes out."

"'At's quite impressive, Fishlegs," Merida complimented, stepping over a fallen log.

"He's exaggerating," Fishlegs replied, shrugging his shoulders and letting his arms fall to the side, a blush coloring his face.

"I'm really not," Hiccup whispered to Merida conspiratorially, leaning close to her and placing his hand on her shoulder as he did so, causing her to giggle.

Smiling back at her, Hiccup turned to look at her, walking backwards a few steps as he did. Suddenly, he felt his foot snag on an uncovered root, causing him to trip and go rolling backwards through the brush.

"Hiccup!" Merida exclaimed in surprise as she rushed through the bushes, Fishlegs quickly following her, "Are ye okay!?"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Hiccup called back on the other side of the brush, "Come see what I found!"

Pushing their way through the brush, they found Hiccup laying on the ground, one of the standing stones looming above him.

"Th' standin' stones!" Merida cried with elation, jumping happily.

"Oh no, not again," Fishlegs moaned.

"Whit's th' matter, Fishlegs?" Merida questioned as she offered Hiccup her hand and helped him to his feet, "Didnae ye want tae find Hilde again?"

"Not particularly," Fishlegs sighed as he stepped into the clearing, "She kind of gives me the creeps."

"The creeps?" Hiccup question, brushing himself off, "She's just an old lady."

"I really doubt she's an old lady," Fishlegs replied, lowering his voice as he did, "In fact I think she might be a w-"

"Hello," a thickly accented voice said from directly behind Fishlegs, causing him to let out a cry of surprise, throw his hands into the air and dash over to Merida and Hiccup's side. As he ran, he revealed Hilde had been standing behind him, smiling bemusedly at him while shifting the bundle of sticks slung over her shoulder as the crow on her other shoulder cocked its head to the side as it looked at the large boy quizzically.

"Hilde," Merida greeted her with a smile as Hiccup observed his friend with a cocked eyebrow. Fishlegs quickly lowered his arms and scratched his arm in embarrassment.

"Hello, Jager," Hilde replied with a smile, "How hafe you been?"

"Ah've been fine," Merida replied with a chuckle, "We've been lookin' all over fer ye."

"Oh, did you get lost in zee voods?" Hilde asked.

"Nae," Merida replied in confusion while shaking her head.

"Vell, zere's your problem," Hilde stated simply as she walked past Merida, who followed the old woman with a confused look. Merida quickly glanced at Hiccup, who shrugged in bewilderment.

"Whit dae ye mean?" Merida questioned following Hilde as the old woman made her way across the circle of standing stones, pausing only briefly as the same chill as before ran up her spine when she crossed the threshold of the circle. Fishlegs glanced down at Hiccup, who shrugged and followed the two females, causing the Viking teen to sigh before following as well.

"Zis is a schpecial place, dearie," Hilde explained, "You can't find it by lookink for it. It has to let you find it."

Merida looked at Hilde in utter bafflement, before looking at Hiccup and Fishlegs, who were wearing similar expressions. By then, the trio had followed Hilde into the forested path that lead to her home.

"So, vat brings you to my home, dearies?" she questioned as they entered the clearing where her home was located.

"We were jist wanderin' around, talking about dragon training," Merida explained as the three followed Hilde up to the door of her house.

"Ah, a very exciting subject," Hilde stated as she opened the door and led the teenagers into her home, "So, ven do you all shtart?"

"Well, Fishlegs is the only one who actually gets to go into dragon training," Hiccup explained, motioning to Fishlegs as he did.

"Oh, vhy's zat?" Hilde asked as she set the bundle of sticks down next to her work bench.

"My father doesn't think I'm up for it," Hiccup stated with a sigh and a shrug.

"Probably thinks th' same o' me," Merida added, "In addition tae th' possibility o' me dying an' startin' a war."

"I zink you two vould make great dragon slayers, in my humble opinion," Hilde said as she made her way to the kitchen, "Vould you like some tea?"

"Ah'd love some," Merida replied with a smile, "Ah jist daenae think it's fair 'at he wonae even give us a chance."

"Vell, perhaps you could schow him you're ready," Hilde suggested as she put her tea pot on her freshly lit stove.

"But how?" Hiccup asked, "I'm not exactly great with a sword or anything like that."

"Ah am," Merida stated, smiling at him, "Ah cud teach ye."

"Really?" Hiccup asked, a smile growing on his face as well.

"O' course," she replied sincerely.

"Could you maybe teach me too?" Fishlegs asked bashfully.

"Daenae ye already know how tae fight, Fishlegs?" Merida questioned, looking at him in confusion.

"I know the techniques and everything," Fishlegs explained, playing with his hands nervously, "I've just never been good with the whole physical part. I'm not very coordinated."

"Well, Ah'm sure Ah can help ye too," Merida stated, smiling at her friend.

"So, when do we start?" Hiccup asked.

"Vhy not right now?" Hilde suggested, taking the tea pot off the stove as it began to whistle and pouring each of the teenagers a cup.

"Whit wud we practice with?" Merida questioned, taking her tea and sipping from it, "It's nae like we hae any swords on us."

"Let me take care of zat, Jager," Hilde replied, before walking over to a corner of her work room and rummaging through some wooden objects. After a moment, she made a satisfied noise before pulling out a pair of finely crafted wooden training swords.

"Where did you get those?" Hiccup asked, surprised.

"I'm a voodcarfer, remember?" Hilde questioned, smiling at him.

_Later,_

The clacking of wood hitting wood sounded throughout the small clearing outside Hilde's house as Merida and Hiccup clashed with each other, parrying each other's blows with their training swords. Fishlegs sat on the ground to the side, nursing a few fresh bruises on his arms and shoulders as Hilde stood next to him, smiling as she rested against her walking stick and watched the two teenagers spar.

A thin layer of sweat covered Hiccup's forehead as he rapidly back peddled, barely managing to block Merida's rapid assault. Merida, on the other hand, seemed to be completely within her element, an excited smile on her face as she spared with Hiccup. She feinted high, tricking Hiccup to lifting his sword to block an attack that wasn't coming as she ducked below his guard and stabbed him in the stomach with the rounded point.

Hiccup coughed in pain and stumbled back a few feet. As he recovered, Hiccup looked up to find Merida smiling at him, twirling her sword in her hand.

"Ye hae tae be quicker than 'at!" she called with a giggle, causing Hiccup to smile at her, "Is th' sword too heavy fer ye?"

"Every sword seems to be too heavy for me," Hiccup stated with a sigh, letting the point of the wooden sword rest against the ground. A thoughtful look crossed Merida's face.

"Hiccup, which hand dae ye use tae blacksmith?" Merida questioned.

"Uh, this one, though Gobber says it's wrong. Why do you ask?" Hiccup asked, holding up his free left hand.

"An' which ane dae ye write and draw with?" Merida questioned again.

"This one," Hiccup replied, holding up his left hand again, "Though they told me I was wrong."

"Then why are ye usin' th' sword with yer right hand?" Merida asked in confusion.

"Because my dad told me that was the right way," Hiccup stated with a shrug.

"It might be right fer most people, but it ain't fer ye," Merida explained, "Yer left handed, Hiccup."

"Really?" Hiccup questioned, seemingly having never considered that before.

"Aye, really," Merida stated with a chuckle, "Try holdin' it with yer other hand."

Hiccup did as she asked, a surprised look on his face as he took a few practice swings with the sword.

"Hey, you're right," he said with a laugh, causing Merida to giggle.

"Told ye," Merida stated, twirling her sword in her hand, "Ready tae try again?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Hiccup replied, pointing his wooden sword at her.

"That's the spirit," Merida stated, before running at him, her sword raised to attack. Merida swung high, forcing Hiccup to duck and allowing her to shove him in the chest with her foot, sending the Viking teen stumbling backwards. Managing to catch himself, Hiccup raised his sword and blocked Merida's follow up swing. Managing to push the girl back, Hiccup took a stab at Merida, but she managed to push the attack to the side with her own sword. As Hiccup stumbled forward, Merida wrapped her arm around his outstretched one, pulling him forward and off balance. As she did, Merida swept Hiccup's feet from under him, causing him to fall. As he fell, Hiccup managed to grab hold of the front of Merida's shirt as she twisted him around to throw him to the ground. Falling to the ground, Hiccup kept a fast hold on Merida, dragging her down with him.

Hiccup landed on the ground with a thud as Merida fell on top of him, knocking the wind out the young man. As Hiccup groaned in pain he slowly lifted his head, only to find Merida's face was only inches from his own. The two blinked at each other in surprise as blushes began to creep across their cheeks. Glancing downwards, Merida noticed that Hiccup's hand was still firmly clasped onto the front of her shirt.

"Well, feelin' a wee bit cheeky, are we?" she joked, grinning at him as her blush deepened, "It's good stitchin' though, ye'll hae tae tug a little harder next time."

At that point, Hiccup's entire face flushed as he let go of Merida's shirt like he had been burnt. Merida laughed in delight, sitting up so that she straddled his waist, her apparent enjoyment belayed by the fact her face was flushed as red as her hair.

"I..I wasn't…I mean…I don't…I…" Hiccup stammered unable to put a coherent thought together. Fishlegs meanwhile was rolling across the ground, laughing to himself as Hilde watched the two with an enigmatic smile on her face.

"Relax, Ah'm jist playin' with ye," Merida giggled as she stood up, though she averted her gaze as she tucked an errant hair behind her ear.

"Maybe swords are not Reiter's shtrong point," Hilde suggested.

"Then whit is?" Merida questioned as reached down and helped Hiccup to his feet.

"Perhaps an art efen more in line vith your own skills?" Hilde suggested, her smile growing on her face as a look of elation passed over Merida's. Hiccup however, had only uncertainty written on his features.

_Later_,

Merida and Hiccup stood side by side in the clearing outside Hilde's home. Set up on the other side of the clearing was a carved, wooden target, another piece from Hilde's apparently massive body of work. Fishlegs and Hilde stood to the side near the front door to her house, Fishlegs looking slightly nervous.

Hiccup sighed as he looked down at Merida's bow in his hand, running his thumb over the wood he had carved. Merida stood at his side, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

"Come on, Hiccup," she encouraged, smiling at him, "Ye can dae this."

"I really can't," Hiccup replied, shaking his head and laughing nervously.

"Well, let me be th' judge o' 'at," she stated as she took a step away from him, "Now, give it a shot."

"Alright," Hiccup sighed as he notched an arrow on the bowstring and pulled it back, looking down the shaft at the target. Almost immediately, his arm began to shake as he struggled to hold onto the bowstring as he tried to steady his aim. A second later, the string slipped and the arrow went flying through the air, soaring wide of the target and imbedding into a tree at the edge of the clearing. Hiccup swore to himself as his shoulders drooped and his face fell. Glancing over, he saw Fishlegs looking at him sympathetically while Hilde's expression appeared unreadable. Turning his head, he expected Merida to be looking at him in embarrassment, but instead she had a thoughtful look on her face.

"Well, it's obvious ye hae trouble holdin' th' bow straight an' pullin' th' string back all th' way," Merida mused, "But Ah daenae think 'at means ye're eyes are bad."

Reaching out, she cupped Hiccup's chin and turned his head so she looked him dead in the eye, ignoring the small blush spreading across his face.

"In fact, I wudnae be surprised if ye hae very good aim," Merida commented.

"What makes you say that?" Hiccup questioned.

"Ye've got a keen eye fer detail," Merida explained, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as she thought of the drawing she had seen in his sketchbook, "A very keen eye. Ye see thin's clearly, which means ye shud haee good aim."

"So, you think the problem is just I can't keep the bow steady?" Hiccup questioned, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Aye," Merida replied before taking the bow in one hand and Hiccup's wrist in the other, "Here, let me show ye."

Stepping next to Hiccup, Merida took the bow from him, before guiding him so he stood directly behind her.

"Take ma hands," Merida instructed, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Um, excuse me?" Hiccup asked, blushing harder at how closely she stood to him.

"Take ma hands," she repeated, grinning at him, "Whit? Too scared tae hold yer own girlfriend's hands?"

"What did you say?" he asked, his blush lessening as he grinned at her.

"Well, Astrid insinuated Ah was back in th' village an' it got me thinkin', Ah basically am, arenae Ah?" she questioned, her own blush deepening as averted her eyes, "Ah mean, technically Ah'm yer betrothed, which means we skipped 'at whole step, an' she clearly meant it as an insult, but Ah hae tae admit…Ah kind o' liked it."

"So, you want to be my girlfriend?" Hiccup inquired, his grin growing. Seeing the look on his face, Merida smiled as well while meeting his eyes again.

"If ye'll hae me," Merida replied softly.

"I don't think anything could make me happier," Hiccup stated, causing Merida's smile to grow as she giggled melodically. It was at that moment Hiccup noticed how close their faces were for the second time that day. If he just leaned forward he might be able to…but he couldn't do that. Except she seemed to be leaning towards him, subtly tilting her head to the side as her eyes began to close. Did she want it to? Well, there was only one way to find out, wasn't there? That's the line of thought Hiccup went with as he moved forward to press his lips against Merida's.

"Hey!" Fishleg's suddenly shouted, causing Hiccup and Merida to jump apart with a start, their lips having only been inches away from each other, their faces flushed as they tried to recompose themselves "Are you guys going to shoot something or just stand there making puppy dog eyes at each other all day?"

Hiccup glared at his best friend, who only shrugged innocently as he grinned like the cat that had caught the canary, his bulk jiggling with barely contained mirth. Merida, meanwhile, made a show of playing with her hair before clearing her throat to regain Hiccup's attention.

"Anyway, as Ah was sayin'," she stated, turning her back to him once again, "Take ma hands."

Hiccup did as he was asked, cupping Merida's hands in his as she held the bow, having notched an arrow in its string. It was then that Hiccup realized that this position left him with his front side pressed against her back. Specifically, because of their similar heights, it resulted in her rear pressing against…well a place he figured he probably shouldn't be thinking about at that moment.

"Ye okay?" Merida questioned, glancing over her shoulder at him.

"Me? Yeah, oh yeah, totally fine," he blurted out quickly, happy to have his blood rushing to his face as it began to glow bright red.

"Right," she said with a chuckle, before turning her attention back to the target, "Now, ye're goin' to guide ma hands."

"What do you mean?" Hiccup questioned.

"Ah'm goin' tae be th' ane tae pull th' strin'," Merida explained, "But Ah'm goin' tae close ma eyes while Ah dae it, which means 'at ye're goin' tae hae tae guide th' shot."

"You sure about this?" Hiccup asked, giving her an unsure look.

"Ah hae th' upmost faith in ye," Merida replied, smiling at him before turning her head back around and shutting her eyes, "Ready whenever ye are."

Taking a calming breath, Hiccup looked down at the bow in Merida's hands. Gently, he pulled on her hands, causing her to lift the bow and pull the bowstring back, the wood creaking as the string became taut. Leaning his head on her shoulder, he looked down the shaft of the arrow at the target sitting across the clearing from them.

"Ye can dae this," Merida whispered to him, "Remember, jist breathe."

Following her advice, Hiccup took a deep calming breath, catching the earthy scent of her hair as he did so as the sound of her echoing him reached his ears. As he finished breathing in, he felt a great calmness come over him and everything seemed to become instantly clear. Adjusting her aim slightly, Hiccup reached out and cupped the fingers Merida was using to hold the arrow, causing her to let go of it as they both breathed out at the same time. The arrow went whistling through the air, before hitting the target dead center.

Hiccup's eyes went wide as his jaw went slack, while Fishlegs let out a loud whoop of excitement and thrust his hands into the air. Hilde meanwhile smiled at the sight as her crow let out a caw that sounded oddly like cheering to Hiccup. Opening her eyes, Merida let out an astonished gasp before spinning around and enveloping Hiccup in a hug which he happily returned.

"Ye did it!" she exclaimed with a laugh, "Ah knew ye cud!"

"Well, that makes one of us," Hiccup replied, before squeezing her happily again, "So what does this mean?"

"It means, Reiter," Hilde spoke up, catching all their attentions, "Zat you don't need zee skill to schoot, vat you need is somezing to do zee schooting for you."

"But whit cud dae 'at?" Merida questioned, "He'd need somethin' tae hold th' bowstrin' while he aims."

As Merida said that, a thought came to Hiccup. A glassy look came over his eyes as he lifted his hand and began to move his finger slightly, almost as if he were counting something.

"Oh boy," Fishlegs stated, watching Hiccup intently.

"Whit?" Merida questioned in confusion, "Whit is it?"

"He's got an idea," Fishlegs explained, "An idea of something to build."

"'At's…good, right?" Merida asked, looking at Hiccup with concern as he continued to stare off into space.

"Depends on what he plans on building," Fishlegs replied.

"I got it!" Hiccup said suddenly, slamming his fist into his palm.

"Got what?" Merida questioned.

"An idea," Hiccup replied enigmatically, before turning to Hilde "Hilde, do you have any extra wood I can use?"

"Does a Night Fury fly in zee dark?" Hilde questioned rhetorically, smiling at Hiccup.

A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the late update, last week was hell and I had all sort of things going on, but I will work hard to get the next few chapters out quicker to make up for it. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. As I am from the Boston area, I would be remise not to mention what happened today during the Marathon. My thoughts go out to my fellow New Englanders and to everyone affected by it, and I hope all your guys' do too. Anyway, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	13. Shot in the Dark

**Chapter 13: Shot in the Dark**

Night hung heavy over the island of Berk, the darkness providing a relief from the rising temperatures that came as spring began to turn to summer. However, there would be no respite from the heat as the stars were blocked out by clouds of smoke and the village was illuminated by dragon fire.

Merida raced through the village, dodging around villagers and ducking out of the way of falling debris like it had become second nature, her bundle of curly locks trailing behind her like a comet's tale. Hearing a high pitched whistling coming from the sky above her, Merida looked up just in time to see a purplish-white ball of fire slam into one of the watch tower, the searing flash of light briefly illuminating a sleek, jet black figure as it shot through the air at breakneck speeds, leaving a ripple in the flames of the now burning structure.

The flaming tower groaned ominously, catching Merida's attention as she ran past it. The popping of wood and snapping of rope caused Merida's eyes to widen in fear and surprise as the tower began to tilt in her direction, threatening to collapse right on top of her. Letting out a yelp of fear, Merida ran as fast as her legs could carry her, desperately trying to get out of the way of the collapsing tower as flaming debris rained around her. Just as it seemed like the burning top of the tower was going to crush her, Merida felt a powerful hand wrap around her arm and yank her off her feet, pulling her to safety.

Stumbling as she regained her footing, Merida coughed against the smoke cloud kicked up by the collapsed structure. Looking to her side, Merida smiled as she saw a familiar face.

"Thanks, Fishlegs," Merida said to the larger boy.

"Don't worry about it," Fishlegs replied, waving off Merida's thanks as he picked the bucket of water he had with him up off the ground, "You should get to the smithy."

"Right," she agreed with a nod, turning to run off, "Stay safe."

"You too," Fishlegs answered, watching her go, before turning his attention to one of the many fires raging in the village.

Merida rushed around a corner and smiled as the smithy came into sight, smoke pouring out of the chimney and the large front window open to allow Gobber to pass weapons to the Vikings who ran past. Running towards the window, Merida leapt up, grabbing the top of the window frame and swinging herself into the shop, startling Gobber as she flew past him.

"Gods lass!" Gobber exclaimed, putting his good hand to his chest as Merida landed, the wooden floor creaking under her leather boots, "Ye're gaein' tae scare th' life oot o' me ane o' these days."

"Sorry, Gobber," Merida apologized, before turning her attention to Hiccup, who was working at the anvil, and smiling, "How's ma favorite blacksmith this evenin'?"

"Oh, Ah'm daein' alright," Gobber replied obliviously as he looked out the window at the village, causing Merida to roll her eyes, earning a chuckle from Hiccup.

"I'm doing okay too, just in case you wanted to know," Hiccup joked, earning a smirk from Merida, "Are you okay? You look a little shook up."

"Ah'm alright," Merida replied, brushing some the accumulated soot and dust off her clothes, "Ah was by 'at collapsin' tower a minute ago, but Fishlegs made sure Ah got oot o' there in ane piece."

"I'll have to thank him," Hiccup said sweetly as he placed his hand on Merida's arm, smiling warmly at her, earning a similar smile from her as her cheeks turned pink.

"Aye, 'at's great an' all, but 'at axe isnae goin' tae shape itself, lad," Gobber spoke up, eyeing the couple with a smirk. Hiccup smiled back at him before stepping back to the anvil as Merida walked over to Gobber's side.

"Anythin' Ah can dae tae help?" Merida questioned.

"Aye, stand here an' hand oot weapons tae anyone who needs ane," Gobber explained as he tossed a sword to a passing Viking warrior, "Ah need tae see aboot fixin' some armor plates."

As Gobber turned and began walking away, he accidentally bumped into something, causing him to swear as he clutched his shin in pain.

"Damnit!" he growled as he glared down at the offending object, which looked like a barrel attached to a wheelbarrow, "Whit did Ah tell ye two aboot keepin' this contraption in ma shop!?"

"Sorry," the two of them apologized at the same time.

"Whit is this blasted thin' anyway?" Gobber grumbled, gesturing at it.

"It's a ballista," Merida said as she handed a war axe to a passing Viking, who only spared her a confused glance before going on his way.

"A what?" Gobber questioned in confusion.

"A ballista," Merida repeated as she turned to look at Gobber, leaning against the windowsill, "It's an auld siege weapon th' Great Empire used tae use. Hiccup built a small version from scratch."

Gobber looked down at the ballista before back at Merida with a confused look on his face.

"Sae did th' Empire jist use bigger wheelbarrows?" Gobber questioned.

Merida palmed her face as Hiccup sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation before trudging over to the ballista. Leaning down, he pulled on a switch that Gobber hadn't noticed, causing the barrel to spring open like a cracked egg as something inside sprung upwards on a pedestal. The device consisted of a long stock with one end attached to the pedestal. On the other end was a pair of what looked like oversized bows sitting parallel to one another. The bowstrings were much thicker than any Gobber had seen before. Following the strings, Gobber saw they were attached to a slider built into a groove that had been carved into the stock. Attached to the top of the slider was a clasp that looked like it was designed to hold something in place, while a thick length of rope was tied to the back of the slider. The rope ran the length of the groove and was tied to a winch built into the other end of the stock. Behind the winch was a hook that looked like it would fit into the mechanism of the winch, the hook itself appearing to be attached to some sort of trigger built into the end of the stock.

"Sae…" Gobber said, looking at the ballista with a mixture of surprise, wonder and confusion, "Whit daes it dae?"

"Fires one of these," Hiccup stated, holding up a crude bola made of a pair of rocks tied at opposite ends of a length of thick rope.

"At whit?" Gobber questioned, raising an eyebrow at Hiccup.

"Anythin' unfortunate enough tae hae it pointed at them," Merida explained, handing a Viking woman a sword without even looking at her, "Jist ask th' poor birch tree we tested it on th' other day."

"Sae ye're gaein' tae shoot trees with it?" Gobber asked.

"No," Hiccup said solemnly, a serious look on his face, "I'm going to shoot down a Night Fury."

Gobber just stared at Hiccup for a few moments, the gears in his head churning so hard that Hiccup could have sworn he saw steam coming out of them.

"Are ye daft, lad!?" Gobber exclaimed, his eyes wide, "Or dae ye jist hae a death wish?"

"Look, I know it sounds crazy, but I can do this, if you just give me the chance," Hiccup pleaded.

"A chance tae dae whit!?" Gobber demanded, his ire rising, "Get yerself killed? Because there is nae way in Hel 'at ye're takin' down a Night Fury with 'at pile o' junk!"

"So you don't think I can do it?" Hiccup demanded, his eyes narrowing.

"Nae, Ah daenae!" Gobber stated, leaning over so he was looking Hiccup right in the eye.

"But he can dae it!" Merida exclaimed, glaring at Gobber.

"Ah daenae care whether he can or cannae dae it!" Gobber bellowed, whirling on Merida so fiercely that the girl took a step back in surprise, pressing herself against the windowsill, "Ah'm nae gaein' tae let him get hurt jist because he feels like he has somethin' tae prove!"

"I feel I have something to prove?" Hiccup asked, incredulously, "I just feel I have something to prove!? No Gobber, I actually do have something to prove or have you magically forgotten how people treat me in this village!? Slaying a dragon is everything here. And if I can kill a Night Fury, then all my problems will disappear."

"Or ye'll die, which Ah guess, when ye think aboot it, accomplishes th' same task," Gobber groused, glaring down at Hiccup, before whirling back around to fix his gaze on Merida, "An' Ah suppose ye've been encouragin' him?"

"Ah hae," Merida admitted, "but 'at's anly because he can do this! He built 'at ballista without ever seein' ane afore. It's the nastiest weapon Ah've ever laid eyes on an' he shoots it truer than th' North Star. If anythin' can take down a Night Fury, it 'at."

"Dae ye two hae any idea whit ye're dealin' with!?" Gobber demanded angrily as he gestured out the window towards the burning village, "These are bloodthirsty monsters! An' a Night is th' worst o' the lot! It'll eat ye up an' spit ye oot afore ye can blink! Ye're nae trained fer this!"

"And I will never be trained if I don't do this, because no one thinks I can handle it!" Hiccup shouted back, "It's a never ending cycle that ends with my remaining the laughing stock of the village for the rest of my life!"

"Ah will talk tae yer father, Ah'm sure Ah can convince him tae let ye intae dragon trainin'," Gobber said, trying to placate the boy.

"Yeah, and since when has my dad listened to anyone about anything?" Hiccup questioned.

"Ah'll make him," Gobber assured him. As he did, there was a loud crash, causing the three of them to look out the window. They saw a large plume of smoke reaching up into the sky, forming a mushroom shape as it rose.

"What in the world?" Gobber whispered as he took a step towards the window.

"Gobber!" a Viking man called from outside, "Stoick's fighting a group of Gronckles! We need your help with the other dragons!"

"Whit? Now!?" Gobber asked.

"Yes, now!" the Viking man replied, a look of confusion on his face as he threw his hands up in frustration.

"Ah'll be right there," Gobber growled in frustration before grabbing an axe off the wall and turned to look at Merida and Hiccup, "Ah know whit thought is goin' through both o' yer heads, an' Ah'll tell ye right now, jist drop it. Daenae dae anythin' stupid!"

With that, he leapt through the window and went running into the village, disappearing from view. Hiccup and Merida watched him leave before glancing at each other.

"Ye thinkin' whit Ah'm thinkin'?" Merida asked him, a smirk forming on her face.

"I'll get the ballista," Hiccup replied with a grin.

As Hiccup left, Merida noticed someone running by.

"Fishlegs!" she called, sticking her head out the shop window to stop the boy as he went running by with a bucket of water. He stumbled to a stop, almost spilling the bucket's contents across the ground.

"Merida?" he asked in surprise, "What's up?"

"Tonight's th' night," she replied, waving him over, "Come on, we need yer help!"  
"We're doing it tonight!?" he asked in surprise as he walked over and entered the smithy, placing the bucket of water to the side as he did so.

"Of course, when else were we going to do it?" Hiccup questioned as he rolled the ballista over while Merida closed the shutters.

"I don't know if this is such a great idea guys," Fishlegs stated, playing with his hands nervously as he looked at the ballista.

"Och, daenae chicken oot on us now, Fishlegs," Merida groaned.

"I'm not chickening out!" Fishlegs replied with clearly false bravado, "I just…think we need more time to plan."

"Whit's tae plan?" Merida questioned, cocking an eyebrow at Fishlegs, "We find a vantage point, we find th' Night Fury, we shoot it down. Simple as 'at!"

"A bit easier said than done," Hiccup commented as he made some quick adjustments to the ballista.

"We can dae it," Merida stated confidently, smiling down at Hiccup, who smiled back, before she turned her attention back to Fishlegs, "Besides, daenae ye want tae gae down in history as ane o' th' people who took down a Night Fury?"

"Alright," Fishlegs said with a reluctant sigh, "What do you need me to do?"

"Well, the ballista is pretty heavy," Hiccup said, grinning awkwardly at Fishlegs, earning a groan from the Viking teen as he rolled his eyes.

A few minutes later and Merida stepped out of the smithy, a bola slung over her shoulders. She glanced around before signaling inside for the others to come out. A moment later, Hiccup stepped out as well, holding onto the front of the ballista while Fishlegs pushed it like a wheelbarrow behind him.

"Come on," Merida waved them on, heading towards the edge of the village while the boys trailed behind. Merida lead them up a hill on the outskirts of the village, the light from the dragon fires fading behind them until they stood in darkness, the moon and stars shinning above them. On a cliff, a lone watchtower stood looking over the boundaries of the village.

"Ye sure it will be here?" Merida questioned as they came to a stop, the boys resting the ballista on the ground.

"The Night Fury likes to attack outlying buildings," Fishlegs explained as Hiccup took his place behind the ballista, aiming it at the tower, "Helps to divide our people, forcing us to deal with fires on different sides of the village. It's a wonder that this tower hasn't been attacked before."

"Smart," Merida commented as she loaded the bola she was carrying onto the ballista.

"Very," Fishlegs agreed as he and Hiccup cranked the ballista back into its firing position, the strings almost humming from the tension.

"You ready?" Fishlegs asked Hiccup as the boy took a position at the ballista's trigger.

"Ready as I ever will be," Hiccup said, taking a calming breath as he tested the turret part of the ballista.

"Ye can dae this," Merida said to him, placing her hands on his shoulders and stepping behind him, leaning over his right shoulder, resting her chin on it, "Ah believe in ye."

Then, suddenly her lips were pressed firmly against his cheek, creating the same jolt of electricity that he had felt the first time he had done it. Just as quickly as she had done it, Merida pulled away, stepping back, the darkness hiding the blush growing on her face. Hiccup turned and looked at her, finding her icy blue eyes looking at him as they practically glowed in the moonlight, the same way they had the first night she had come to the island. They took his breath away much the same way as well. Slowly, a smile spread across his face, Merida returning a shy one of her own. Fishlegs, for his part, merely chuckled to himself, shaking his head before coughing into his hand to regain their attention.

"Sorry," Hiccup whispered, turning his attention back to the ballista while Merida looked at her feet and bit her lip out of embarrassment, brushing a few loose hairs behind her ears.

"Don't worry about it," Fishlegs replied with a chuckle, waving his hand dismissively at Hiccup, "Let's shoot ourselves a Night Fury."

Hiccup smiled at his best friend before turning his attention back to the ballista, pointing it up at the night sky as he scanned it, looking for any sign of movement.

"How am I even going to see it?" Hiccup questioned.

"Look fer th' shadow on th' stars," Merida whispered, looking up at the star-filled sky as well.

"Shadow on the stars?" Fishlegs questioned.

"They might not be strong, but th' stars still give off light against th' black sky," Merida explained, "Sae 'at means when it passes in front o' th' stars, th' Night Fury will block them oot."

"Allowing us to see him," Hiccup finished, nodding his head and turning his full attention back to the sky. Moments passed, but there was nothing to indicate anything was flying overhead, the only sound they could hear was the sound of the Vikings battling the dragons back in the village.

"Come on," Hiccup whispered to himself, "Come on, give me something to shoot. Come on."

Growing frustrated, Hiccup rapidly scanned the sky before catching sight of something. For a split second, he thought of dismissing it as nothing more as the twinkling of the stars. Looking at it for a moment longer, he realized that it was in fact a dark shape moving across the sky.

"There!" he said, pointing at the shape.

"Where?" Fishlegs asked, looking around wildly at the dark sky.

"Ah see it!" Merida stated, pointing it out as well, "It's gaein' fer th' tower!"

Grabbing the ballista, Hiccup quickly aimed it at the tower, pointing it along the flight path he believed the Night Fury was taking.

"Wait fer it tae hit th' tower," Merida whispered in his ear, resting her hand on his shoulder as she leaned against him, "Th' light o' its fire will give ye a better chance tae hit it."

Hiccup nodded absentmindedly, aware of the earthy smell of Merida's hair wafting beneath his nose upon the sea breeze. As it did, he felt the same sense of calm come over again while the telltale, high pitched whistling sound of the Night Fury's eminent attack filled the air. There was a bright flash of light before a blast of purplish-white fire shot through the air and struck the tower with explosive force. As it did, everything seemed to slow down for Hiccup as he watched the light from the fire illuminate a sleek, black figure shooting through the air, right along the path he was aiming down.

"NOW!" Merida exclaimed, prompting Hiccup to pull the trigger and send the bola flying through the air. There was a moment of tense quiet as the three teenagers watched the projectile go spinning through the air. Then, there was a cry that sounded like a combination of pain and surprise before the dark shape went plummeting down to the island below, landing somewhere in the forest.

There was a moment of stunned silence as the three teenagers stared off in the direction the Night Fury had fallen. Slowly smiles began to spread across their faces before Hiccup threw his hands up into the air and whooped with joy. This act caused Merida and Fishlegs to begin celebrating as well. As Fishlegs pumped his fists into the air, Merida spun around and flung herself at Hiccup and pulled him into a hug which he happily returned.

"Ye did it!" she exclaimed with a laugh, before shrieking in surprise as Fishlegs wrapped his arms around both of them and hoisted them off their feet, spinning happily as the trio laughed in unison. Their laughter was cut off, however, by a loud thud from behind them that shook the very ground.

Slowly, Fishlegs turned around, Merida and Hiccup still in his arms. Behind them, no more than a yard away, was a large dragon. The first thing that caught their attention was the black on yellow, forward-facing eyes that glared hatefully at them. They sat atop a crocodilian maw, the lower jaw of which extend slightly farther than the upper one, allowing the dragon's long, jagged teeth to peak through as well as giving the three a glimpse of its pink, forked tongue. Four black, curved horns grew from the back of its head while a single one sprouted from the center of its nose. Its head was attached to a long serpentine neck, down which black spines grew from the base of its skull all the way down to the tip of its long tail. The scales on its back were a dark brownish-orange color broken up by black stripes while those on its underside were a lighter orange color. It walked on four legs, with bat-like wings sprouting from the underside of its arms, folded up. Its two-fingered, front feet and five-toed, back feet all ended in long, vicious black claws.

Instinctively, the three teenagers knew what it was that faced them. The Monstrous Nightmare snarled as it took a step closer to them, sniffing the air. Fishlegs gulped nervously, his knees knocking together as Merida and Hiccup looked fearfully at each other.

"RUN FISHLEGS RUN!" Merida bellowed as the Nightmare roared at them, the force of its voice shaking the air around them. Fishlegs quickly spun around and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, the Nightmare stomping behind them. The dragon shot a blast of fire at the teenagers, the shot going wide, hitting the ground with tremendous force, nearly knocking Fishlegs to the ground, but the Viking teen managed to keep his footing and continued running down the hill, his friends clutched tightly in his arms.

"Must go faster!" Hiccup exclaimed, looking over Fishlegs' shoulder at the approaching Nightmare which roared angrily at them, "Must go faster!"

For a brief moment, Fishlegs spared a glance over his shoulder to see where the Nightmare was. In doing so, he failed to notice a piece of rubble laying in the street, and tripped over it, sending the three teenagers sprawling. Desperately trying to scramble back to their feet, the Nightmare barreling down on them with its massive jaws opened wide.

Before the Nightmare could reach any of them though, a foot lashed out and struck in the side of the head, snapping its long neck to the side and causing the dragon to stumble. The Nightmare growled in pain as it shook its head in an effort to clear it. Turning to face its assailant, its eyes narrowed and it snarled dangerously as it saw Stoick standing before it.

"If it's a fight ye're lookin' for, I've got one for you right here," Stoick growled, cracking his knuckles dangerously, "So come on if you think ye're hard enough!"

The Nightmare roared at the challenge and charged Stoick, its mouth open to swallow him whole. Seeing the attack coming, Stoick dodged to the side before striking the Nightmare on the jaw with one of his large fists. As the beast reeled from the attack, Stoick quickly followed up with a two punch combo that knocked the Nightmare for a loop. Pressing his advantage, Stoick grabbed the horn on the Nightmare's snout before using it to slam the dragon's face into the ground with enough force to crack the earth.

Taking a step back, Stoick watched as the dragon tried to recover from his assault. Snapping back to reality, the Nightmare roared in anger as a tongue of flame erupted from its mouth. However, instead of shooting outward, the flames engulfed the Nightmare, setting it ablaze without apparently harming it. If Stoick was concerned by this turn of events, he didn't show it, merely narrowing his eyes at the dragon.

The Nightmare snapped its now blazing jaws at Stoick, who managed to just move out of the way. The Nightmare's jaws closed on nothing but air, allowing Stoick the opportunity to look around and try to assess the situation. Before he could, the Nightmare lashed out with its flaming tail, hitting Stoick in the chest and scorching his arm while launching him through the wall of a house. As Stoick picked himself up from the remains of a kitchen table, the Nightmare crawled in through the hole he had made, setting the house ablaze as it did.

Looking down, Stoick grabbed a thick piece of wood that had once been part of the house's wall off the floor before rushing the Nightmare and smacking it on the side of the head with the thick piece of timber. Stoick paid no mind to the fact that the attack has caused his makeshift weapon to light on fire, focusing his attention on the now reeling dragon. Swinging the piece of wood upwards, Stoick caught the Nightmare on the chin, forcing it backwards and out of the house. As the Nightmare tried to recover, Stoick hit it on each side of its head, dazing the dragon. As the Nightmare lowered its head in pain, Stoick lifted the flaming piece of timber above his head before slamming it onto the dragon's skull, snapping the wood in two and knocking the creature out, causing it to collapse to the ground with a thud.

Stoick took a moment to catch his breath, glaring at the Nightmare as his barrel chest huffed and puffed. Glancing at the piece of wood in his hand, he tossed it away before turning around to look at the three teenagers who were picking themselves up off the ground. His eyes narrowed as he looked at each of them in turn.

"We're in trouble, arenae we?" Merida sighed, looking over to the side where she saw Gobber standing to the side with a number of other villagers, scratching the back of his neck and shaking his head while he looked at her in disappointment.

As she said this, there was a loud crashing sound as the roof collapsed in on the house, which was now fully on fire. Stoick looked at it, the light from the fire casting him in an angry, red glow, before he turned his angry gaze back to his son. Hiccup gulped as the sound of a woman's crying reached his ears.

"You have no idea," Fishlegs replied, taking his helmet off and running his hand through his hair, looking sympathetically at his best friend.

A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter this time around. Was going to be a bit longer but I felt this was a good place to stop. Hope you guys liked it. And hey, look at that, I actually got to the part where the movie actually starts. It only took me, what, thirteen chapters to get there. Not bad right? Anyway, critiques and feedback is always welcome, so please review! Later!


	14. Hunter's Instinct

**Chapter 14: Hunter's Instinct**

The sun slowly rose out of the churning waters of the Northern Sea, casting the island of Berk in its yellow glow. It hit the uppermost parts of the island first, catching the small group of people making their way up the hillside and out of the village.

Stoick had Hiccup by the scruff of his neck, carrying the much smaller boy along with him. Fishlegs and Merida followed behind him, Fishlegs with his eyes on the ground while Merida was attempting to burn a hole through the back of Stoick's head with her glare alone. Gobber brought up the rear, hobbling as quickly as he could in an effort to keep up with the others.

"It's not like the last few times, Dad," Hiccup pleaded as the group made their way towards their home, "I mean I really actually hit a Night Fury. You guys were busy with fighting off the other dragons. It went down just off Raven Point. Let's get a search party out there-"

"Stop!" Stoick shouted as he pulled Hiccup up so his face was inches away from his son's, his bellow silencing the boy as the village chief dropped him unceremoniously to the ground.

"Just stop," Stoick said more calmly as Merida came over to Hiccup's side and helped him to his feet, "Every time ye step outside, disaster follows! Can ye not see that I have bigger problems then ye? Enemies breathing down our necks, planning this whole bloody treaty with the Highlanders, and somehow keeping the entire village fed."

"Well, between you and me, the village could probably do with a little less feeding, don't you think?" Hiccup joked, trying to lighten the mood, but instead earning an elbow in the side from Merida as she shot him a glare.

"This isn't a joke, Hiccup!" Stoick shouted before sighing, "I told ye, when there's a dragon attack, ye need to stay put in Gobber's shop. Why can't ye follow the simplest orders?"

"Well, if ye actually gave him a chance tae prove himself, he wudnae hae tae break yer orders!" Merida shouted at Stoick, earning a glare from the Viking chief.

"Oh, don't ye start with me, girly," Stoick growled, leaning down so his face was only a few, "I'm sure ye had yer own part to play in all of this."

Merida met his glare without blinking, but Stoick didn't seem to care as he turned his attention to Fishlegs.

"And you, Fishlegs," Stoick continued, his voice thick with disappointment, "I've come to expect much better from ye."

"I'm sorry, sir," Fishlegs apologized, his eyes lifting to look at Stoick, "But Hiccup's telling the truth, we really did shoot down a Night Fury!"

"I don't want to hear it, Fishlegs!" Stoick snapped, causing Fishlegs to look meekly at the ground again, "I'm tired of hearing this ridiculous story from all of ye!"

"It doesnae matter whit ye think!" Merida shouted, her anger growing by the second, "It happened an' whether ye like it or nae, it's because yer son risked his life tae prove himself tae ye an' this entire bloody village!"

"Trust me, girl," Stoick snarled, turning his attention back to Merida, "Hiccup is a lot of things, but a dragon slayer is not one of them."

"Thanks, Dad," Hiccup griped.

"It's true," Stoick replied, before turning his ire towards his son, gesturing towards him with his massive hands, "And ye won't be until ye sort all of…this out."

"You just pointed to all of me," Hiccup observed with confusion.

"Yes, that's it," Stoick agreed, seemingly ignoring Hiccup's confusion, "Stop being all of you and everything will work out."

"'At doesnae make any sense," Merida stated, raising an eyebrow at Stoick in confusion.

"I don't care," Stoick replied, "I have more important things to do then stand here and argue with you three. Go back to the house, and stay there. That includes you, Fishlegs. Ye'll stay there until yer parents come and get ye. Understand?"

The three teenagers nodded their heads, all avoiding eye contact with Stoick. Nodding as well, Stoick turned to face Gobber.

"Gobber," he stated coldly, "Make sure they get there. I have their mess to clean up."

"Right," Gobber agreed as Stoick began making his way back towards the village. Turning, he faced the trio as he sighed.

"Ah told ye three tae stay in th' shop," he stated, shaking his head in disappointment as he made his way past them towards the house.

"We really did hit ane," Merida stated as he and the others began to follow Gobber.

"Sure," Gobber replied, clearly not believing.

"He never listens," Hiccup sighed as they approached the front door.

"Aye, well it runs in th' family," Gobber agreed, rolling his eyes as he did.

"Even when he does, it's with this disappointed scowl, like someone skimped on the meat in his sandwich," Hiccup continued as they reached the front door before turning around, putting on an exaggerated version of his father's accent, sounding more like Merida or Gobber than Stoick, "Excuse me, barmaid! Ah'm afraid ye brought me th' wrong offsprin'! Ah ordered an extra-large boy with beefy arms, extra guts an' glory on th' side! This here, this is a talkin' fishbone!"

"Ye're lookin' at this all wrong," Gobber stated, trying to placate the frustrated young man, "It's nae sae much whit ye look like, it's whit's inside 'at he cannae stand."  
The three teenagers looked at Gobber in stunned silence for a moment before an angry look crossed Merida's face.

"Gobber!" she admonished as Hiccup let out a depressed sigh.

"Och, sorry! 'At came out wrong," Gobber apologized as he smacked his hand against his face in frustration, "Look, th' point is ye hae tae stop tryin' sae hard tae be somethin' ye're nae, an' Ah daenae mean 'at as a bad thin'. Ye've got good thin's goin' fer ye, Hiccup. Ah can see 'at now. Ye jist need yer father tae see them now."

"I don't want my father to see me for what I am," Hiccup sighed, "I just want to be one of you guys."

"Look, like Ah said afore, Ah'll try tae talk tae yer father," Gobber said, "Ah jist need ye tae help me out by nae gettin' intae any more trouble, alright?"

Hiccup quietly nodded, his eyes on the ground.

"'At goes fer ye two as well," Gobber stated, turning his attention towards Merida and Fishlegs, earning nods from each of them as well.

"Alright, ye three best get inside then," Gobber said, motioning towards the door. Glumly, Hiccup turned and opened the door, walking inside and followed by Merida and Fishlegs. Gobber sighed and shook his head as the teenagers closed the door behind them, before turning and making his way back down the hill towards the village, oblivious to the trio exiting the house through the backdoor.

_Later_,

"Ye're sure it landed here, Hiccup?" Merida questioned, as the three teenagers looked at the empty clearing before them. Hiccup sighed in frustration as he looked at the map he had quickly drawn in his sketchbook.

"The gods hate me," Hiccup groused as he snapped the sketchbook closed and tucked it into his vest before exiting the clearing and making his way down the hill, Merida and Fishlegs following behind, "Some people lose a knife or a mug. No, not me, I manage to lose an entire dragon!"

Growling in frustration, Hiccup swatted at a low hanging branch, only for it to spring back and smack him in the face. Hiccup let out a cry of pain as he brought his hand up to his face.

"Hiccup!" Merida shouted in surprise as she ran over to his side, "Are ye okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hiccup sighed as he allowed Merida to gingerly peel his hand away from his face, revealing the angry red welt on the side of his face. She winced in sympathy as she brushed some of his hair away from his face to get a better look at the injury. A blush crossed Hiccup's cheeks as he noticed how close their faces were. Merida didn't seem to notice as she stepped back.

"It'll jist stin' fer a little bit," she surmised, "Ye shud count yerself lucky 'at it didnae hit ye in th' eye."

"Thanks, Mer," Hiccup replied, rubbing the injured part of his face.

"Mer?" Merida asked, a small smile on her face.

"It's a nickname," Hiccup said, his blush growing brighter as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "You know, so we don't have to be so formal with each other all the time."

"Ah like 'at," Merida replied, giving Hiccup a genuine smile that caused his face to glow redder as Merida walked up to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Now, how aboot we gae find 'at dragon, eh Hic?"

Hiccup chuckled and was about to reply when Fishlegs caught their attention.

"Hey guys!" he called from higher up on the hill, looking into a thick patch of forest, "I think I found something!"

"Did you find the dragon?" Hiccup asked as he and Merida ran over to Fishlegs' side.

"No, but I think I found someone who knows where it is," Fishlegs replied before indicating into the forest, where the three saw a wisp floating amongst the brush, beckoning them to follow it.

"Hey, Mer," Hiccup spoke up, not taking his eyes away from the wisp, "Didn't you say something about wisps leading a person to their destiny?"

"Aye, Ah did," Merida replied, a smirk on her face as she continued watching the wisp as well.

"I really hate this fairy stuff," Fishlegs sighed as the three of them made their way into the brush, following the wisp as it lead them into the woods. They followed the wisp for a few minutes before they came across a broken tree and a deep furrow in the ground the disappeared over an embankment as the wisp disappeared from sight.

"Well, I think we found the dragon," Hiccup commented as he led the other two carefully down the hill, following the gouge in the ground. Climbing up the embankment where the furrow ended, the three of them peeked over the edge, only to duck back behind the embankment as they saw the pitch black form of the Night Fury laying in a clearing on the other side.

"Yeah, that's the dragon," Fishlegs agreed with a fearful tone.

"Sae, whit dae we dae now?" Merida questioned.

"I have no idea," Hiccup admitted, his eyes wide.

"Well, we cannae stay here," Merida stated, and began to move to crawl over the embankment, but was stopped when Hiccup reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back down.

"Whit's yer problem!?" she snapped, glaring at him.

"That's one of the most dangerous dragons in the world," Hiccup explained, "we can't just go running out there."

"Night Fury," Fishlegs whispered, more to himself than the others, "Speed: Unknown. Size: Unknown. The unholy of lightning and death itself. Never engage this dragon. Your only chance, hide and pray it does not find you."

"…Whit?" Merida questioned.

"The entry in the Book of Dragons, I'm guessing," Hiccup replied, "Like I said before, he's memorized the thing cover to cover, and he tends to retreat into facts when he gets excited or scared."

"If ye two are sae scared o' this dragon, then why did we shoot ane down?" Merida questioned. Hiccup and Fishlegs shared a look before turning back to her and shrugging. Merida groaned in frustration before pulling herself over the embankment and sliding down the other side.

As Fishlegs and Hiccup looked on in fear, Merida hid behind a large rock that sat between the embankment and where the Night Fury lay. She slipped her bow from around her shoulders and nocked an arrow on the string, pointing it at the Night Fury as she walked around the rock. There was brief, tense pause as Merida stood aiming her bow at the dragon, before she turned to look at the two boys and signaled them to come down with her head. Sharing a quick glance at each other, Fishlegs and Hiccup climbed over the embankment and slid down the hill, Hiccup drawing a dagger from his belt as he went, holding it in his shaking hands.

Coming around the rocks, Hiccup saw the Night Fury lying before him, its eyes closed and its body tangled up in the ropes of the bola.

"Oh, we did it!" Hiccup exclaimed happily, letting his guard down as he took a few steps towards the Night Fury, "This fixes everything!"

"Yes!" he exclaimed happily as he walked right up to the Night Fury and placed his foot on the dragon's head, "I have brought down this might beast!"

Suddenly, the Night Fury let out a loud growl and it struggled against the bonds, causing Hiccup to stumble backwards as Merida pulled the arrow in her bow further back and Fishlegs jumped behind the rock to hide. As Hiccup caught himself, he pointed his knife at the Night Fury and began edging towards the dragon.

As Hiccup approached it, the Night Fury's eyelid opened, looking at him with its pale green eye. Hiccup held the dragon's gaze for a few moments as it grumbled and breathed deeply. Hiccup's hands shook as he took a few breathes in an effort to calm his nerves.

"Hiccup," Merida whispered to Hiccup, catching his attention and locking their gazes, "You can do this."

Nodding, Hiccup turned his attention back to the Night Fury, which continued to watch him almost impassively.

"I'm going to kill you, dragon," Hiccup stated, breathing hard, "I'm gonna…gonna cut out your heart and bring it to my father."

Turning the knife over in his hand, he held it up to plunge it into the Night Fury's chest.

"I am a Viking," Hiccup stated, "I am a Viking!"

"You're a Viking," Fishlegs agreed.

"Ye can dae this, Hiccup," Merida urged him on, "Finish it."

Taking a deep breath, Hiccup lifted his knife above his head, ready to stab the Night Fury. At that moment, Hiccup looked the dragon in the eye again. They held gazes for a few moments before the Night Fury let out a resigned sigh and closed its eyes. Hiccup closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, lifting the knife as high as he could, mentally psyching himself up to kill the Night Fury.

Instead, Hiccup growled in frustration and dropped his hands, resting the handle of the knife against his head before dropping his hands helplessly to his side.

"Hiccup, whit's wrong?" Merida questioned, looking at him in confusion.

"I did this," Hiccup stated as he stepped away from the Night Fury.

"Yes, ye did," Merida replied, slowly lowering her bow, "This is whit ye wanted. Tae kill a dragon. Tae prove yerself tae yer father!"

"I can't," Hiccup stated, shaking his head, "Not like this."

"Hiccup, all o' th' work ye put intae this, ye cannae jist walk away," Merida stated, clearly not understanding.

"I looked into its eye, Mer," Hiccup explained, "It's scared. Just like us. It knows what's happening. It knows what we're doing. This isn't a hunt, Merida. This is murder."

A thoughtful look crossed Merida's face as she completely lowered her bow. At the same, Fishlegs inched out from around the rock and walked over to Hiccup's side.

"What do we do now?" Fishlegs questioned.

"I don't know," Hiccup sighed as he fell to his knees besides the Night Fury.

"Ah dae," Merida spoke up as she kneeled down next to Hiccup, swinging her bow back around shoulders while holding onto the arrow. Reaching out, she grabbed one of the ropes entangling the Night Fury and began sawing at it with the sharp edges of her arrow head. Hiccup and Fishlegs merely watched her for a few moments as she worked away at the rope.

"Well, are ye two gaein' tae help me, or are ye jist gaein' tae stare at me all day?" Merida questioned with a hint of irritation as she paused in her work to shoot an annoyed glance at the boys. Immediately, Hiccup and Fishlegs sprang into action, Hiccup cutting at the ropes with his knife as Fishlegs drew one of his own and did the same.

As it felt the bonds being cut, the Night Fury opened its eyes in surprise. In moments, the three teenagers had loosened most of the bonds holding the dragon. As soon as it was free enough, the Night Fury suddenly sprung to life, rolling to its feet and spinning around to face them. It knocked Fishlegs to the side with a swing of its tail before pouncing on Hiccup and Merida, holding them against the ground with its clawed forelegs.

For a tense moment, the Night Fury merely stared at the frightened teenagers, its black on green eyes encompassing the entirety of their vision, the hot breath pumping out of its nostrils washing over them. Reaching out, Hiccup grabbed onto Merida's hand, clenching it tightly in his and shut his eyes as the Night Fury began to rear back. Instead of attacking though, the dragon brought its face a few inches from their own and bellowed at the top of its lungs, the roar so loud it seemed to shake the ground around them.

Then, in a blur of motion, the Night Fury spun around and dashed away, leaping into the forest, gliding into the early morning fog, smashing against an outcropping of rock as it went. Hiccup let out a few panicked gasps for air and held his hand to his chest while a wide-eyed Merida ran a hand through her red hair, the force of the Night Fury's roar having knocked the clothe out of her hair. Their hands were still clenched together, so hard, in fact, that their knuckles had turned white.

"Are you guys alright!?" Fishlegs shouted as he ran over to their side, ignoring the pain in his chest from where the Night Fury had struck him.

"Ah'm okay," Merida said, clearly a bit dazed as she picked herself off the ground before helping Hiccup to his feet, "Are ye alright, Hiccup?"

"Yeah, fine, never better," Hiccup mumbled as he let her hands go and began to walk away. He only walked a few steps before his legs seemed to give out underneath him and he collapsed to the ground, face first.

"Hiccup!" Merida exclaimed as she and Fishlegs rushed over to his side, before sharing helpless looks as they tried to figure out what to do to help.

_Meanwhile_,

The Great Hall was packed with Viking men and woman, all gathered around a large round table used for such meetings, illuminated from the fire burning in a fire pit carved into the table's center.

"Either we finish them, or they'll finish us!" Stoick stated from his position at one end of the table, a map laid out before him, "It's the only way we'll be rid of them!"

"If we find the nest and destroy it, the dragons will leave," Stoick explained as he picked up a knife and drove it into a largely uncharted corner of the map, marked with the images of dragons, "They'll find another home. One more search is all I ask."

"Those ships never come back," a Viking man on the other side of the table pointed out.

"We're Vikings, it's an occupational hazard," Stoick argued, "Now who's with me?"

The men and women of the village remained quiet, no one willing to volunteer for what many considered a suicide mission.

"Alright then," Stoick stated, his eyes narrowed in determination, "Those who don't go will look after Hiccup and the princess."

At that statement, everyone in the room jumped at the chance to volunteer for what many considered a suicide mission.

"That's more like it," Stoick surmised before dismissing them. As the others left the Great Hall, Gobber remained behind, drinking from a flagon attached to his prosthetic arm. Whipping his mouth, he turned to face Stoick, who had begun to make his way over to him.

"Suppose Ah shud gae pack," he stated, though he had a feeling that Stoick had other plans in mind.

"No," Stoick replied, proving Gobber's hunch correct, "It's come time for the new recruits training to begin. I need ye to stay behind and take care of it."

"Oh, an' Ah suppose while Ah dae 'at, Hiccup an' Merida can watch ma shop," Gobber guessed, "Molten metal, razor sharp blades, plenty o' time tae themselves. Whit's th' worst 'at cud happen?"

"What am I going to do with them, Gobber?" Stoick sighed as he sat down next to his old friend.

"Put them in dragon trainin' with th' others," Gobber provided.

"No, seriously," Stoick replied.

"Ah am bein' serious," Gobber pressed.

"He'd be killed before you let the first dragon out of its cage," Stoick stated fearfully, "And the girl? She's likely to kill one of the others as she is a dragon."

"Oh ye daenae know 'at," Gobber said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Actually, I do know that," Stoick replied certainly.

"Nae, ye daenae," Gobber argued.

"No, actually I do," Stoick pushed.

"Nae, ye daenae!" Gobber contended, raising his voice and pointing at Stoick with his good hand.

"Listen, ye know what their like," Stoick said as he stood up, "Merida is an undisciplined, self-centered, hot head who resents each and every one of us. And Hiccup, well since the time he could crawl he's been…different. He doesn't listen, he has the attention span of a sparrow. I take him fishin' and he goes huntin' for trolls!"

"Trolls exist!" Gobber interjected, "They steal yer socks. But anly th' left anes. Whit's with 'at?"

"When I was a boy," Stoick began as he started pacing around the hall.

"Och, here we gae," Gobber muttered to himself as he looked at his drink.

"My father told me to bang my head against a rock and I did it," Stoick continued, "I thought it was crazy, but I didn't question him about it. And ye know what happened?"

"Ye got a headache," Gobber provided sarcastically.

"That rock split in two," Stoick stated, ignoring Gobber's comment, "It taught me what a Viking could do, Gobber. He could crush mountains, level forests, tame seas!"

"Even as a boy, I knew what I was, what I had to become," Stoick sighed as he sat back down, "Hiccup is not that boy."

"Nor was he meant tae be," Gobber stated as he turned to face Stoick, "What ye hae tae understand is th' boy has strengths. They're nae yer strengths, but they're there, Ah've seen them, an' whether ye like it or nae, they're th' strengths he's goin' tae hae tae face th' world with. Ye cannae change him Stoick, naebody can, but ye can prepare him."

"Ah know ye daenae like it," Gobber continued as Stoick seemed to perk up at his words, "Especially…with whit happened with Val, but th' truth is ye wonae always be around tae protect him. Ane day, ye'll be gone too an' he'll be on his own. He needs tae know how tae protect himself."

Stoick sighed as a small smile spread across Gobber's features.

"But dae ye know who will be around him fer th' rest o' his life?" Gobber questioned rhetorically, "Merida. Fer better or worse, ye an' Fergus hae chained those two taegether through yer treaty. An' who wud ye rather hae at his side. Some dead weight princess? Or a woman who knows how tae handle herself as well as him, if nae better?"

"I guess ye have a point," Stoick sighed.

"Oh, Ah know Ah dae," Gobber replied with a chuckle as he finished off his drink, "An' if ye ask me, this whole betrothal is definitely shapin' up fer th' better."

"I thought she hated him," Stoick questioned, raising an eyebrow at Gobber.

"She did, but she warmed up tae him, thanks tae those strengths o' his Ah was tellin' ye aboot earlier," Gobber explained with a chuckle, "Now they're shapin' up tae be quite th' couple, if I dae say sae myself."

"Ye sure about that, Gobber?" Stoick asked, clearly unconvinced, "No offense, but romance was never really your thing."

"Hey, ma eternal bachelor status has nothin' tae dae with this," Gobber shot back, "Ah spend more time with them every day then ye dae, sae trust me, Ah know whit Ah'm talkin' aboot."

"Whatever you say, old friend," Stoick said, laughing as he slowly shook his head, "Whatever you say."

A/N: Sorry about there having been no updates the last few weeks guys, but I've been super busy with finishing up school. I hope you guys can forgive me! This was a fun chapter to write, especially Gobber's conversation with Stoick at the end. Gave me a chance to show how Gobber's changed from the movie version. I hope you guys liked it! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome so please review! Later!


	15. What You Wish For

**Chapter 15: What You Ask For**

Fishlegs sighed as he stood outside his home. Lights flickered through the window into the darkened outdoors as the sound of muffled voices and a heavy person, most likely his father, pacing across the wooden floor. For a few seconds, Fishlegs seemed to wrestle with himself before taking a calming breath and reaching out to grasp the door. Gulping nervously, he pulled it open and stepped inside.

Fishlegs' home was a humble one, stocked with simple pieces of furniture, small pieces of Viking art and scattered odds and ends related to his mother and father's occupations of seamstress and shipwright. Glancing to his side, he saw his mother and father in the parlor. His mother was sitting in her rocking chair, her long blonde hair tied back in a long braid as her worried blue eyes watched his father pace back and forth. Her hands, however, were busy as ever, stitching a tunic perfectly without even looking at it. Fishlegs' father, on the other hand, was circling the parlor like some sort of predator, his large, powerful arms crossed in front of his muscular chest. His dark brown eyes were narrowed as his rapid breathing stirred his bushy brown beard.

Stepping inside, Fishlegs loudly cleared his voice, catching both of his parents' attentions as he closed the door behind him.

"Um…Hey Mom. Hey Dad," Fishlegs said awkwardly, waving at them as his parents stared at him.

"Fishlegs!" his mother exclaimed, her face lighting up as she saw her son, "We were so wor-"

"Where have you been!?" his father barked, cutting off his wife as he took a menacing step towards Fishlegs, "The chief told us you would be waiting of us at his home, but when we got there, you were nowhere to be found! Where did you go!?"

"Dad, I just went with Hiccup and Merida to-" Fishlegs began to explain but stopped when his father growled angrily at him.

"I should have known that useless runt and his pathetic princess were to blame for all this!" he shouted.

"Fishguts!" Fishlegs' mother snapped at her husband.

"Stay out of this, woman!" Fishguts rounded on his wife, missing his son's eyes narrowing and his hands clenching into fists.

"I thought I told you not to hang around with that good-for-nothing anymore," Fishguts stated, pointing a finger at his son, "I thought I told you your time was better spent with Spitelout's boy."

"Snotlout's a jerk, Dad," Fishlegs replied, looking his father dead in the eye, "I don't like hanging out with him."

"I don't care if you don't like him!" Fishguts shouted, "You're not supposed to like him! What you're supposed to do is learn from his example about how to be a proper Viking!"

"I do know how to be a proper Viking!" Fishlegs shouted right back, catching his mother off guard, but seeming to leave his father unphased.

"Well, I sure as Hel don't see it!" Fishguts roared, "You're a blubbering mess most of the time, and always have your nose stuck in this book or that scroll. Certainly not what I was doing at your age."

Fishlegs merely shook his head and rolled his eyes in reply.

"This is all that Hiccup's fault," Fishguts growled, "He infected you with whatever it is that's wrong with him. I don't know what you're mother was thinking, letting you hang around with that scrawny half-wit! And now he's twice as bad with that Highlander whore!"

Fishlegs mother looked like she was going to say something again, but fell silent when she caught sight of Fishlegs glaring daggers at his father.

"Take it back," Fishlegs growled.

"What?" Fishgut's questioned, looking at his son in confusion.

"What you said," Fishlegs elaborated angrily, "Take it back!"

"Why on Earth would I do a thing like that?" Fishguts asked dangerously as he leaned down to look his son in the eye.

"Because they're my friends, and I'm not going to just sit here and listen to you bad mouth them!" Fishlegs shouted back, catching his father by surprise.

"You're standing up for them?" Fishguts chuckled incredulously, "Out of everyone on this island, you choose those sacks of dragon dung to stand up for?"

"I told you not to insult them!" Fishlegs yelled, getting in his father's face.

"Or what?" Fishguts challenged, his eyes narrowing.

"Or I'll make you stop," Fishlegs answered, his eyes narrowing as well.

The two glared at each other for a few tense moments as Fishlegs' mother looked on with fear, her hands playing nervously with one another.

"Fishlegs," she spoke up, a nervous crack in her voice, "Maybe you should go to bed, you have dragon training in the morning. Your father needs to rest up for his expedition with the chief tomorrow too."

Fishguts sighed, breaking eye contact with Fishlegs as he stood back up.

"Your mother's right. We both have important things to do tomorrow," Fishguts said before gesturing to the stairs, "Go to your room and get some sleep."

"Fine," Fishlegs relented, still glaring at his father, "Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight dear," his mother replied, seeming to calm as the situation defused while Fishlegs turned and marched up the stairs. Fishguts watched him go, before sighing again as he walked over to a chair next to his wife's rocker and collapsed into it.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with that boy, Ribbon," Fishguts groaned, "Sure, he's right about knowing what it is to be a Viking but he's nothing like what a Viking should be."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that," Ribbon stated as she picked up the clothing she had been working on and set back to work.

"What makes you say that?" Fishguts questioned.

"Do you even realize what just happened there?" Ribbon asked, raising her eyebrow at her husband.

"No," Fishguts replied, shaking his head after a moment.

"He stood up to you!" Ribbon explained with an exasperated sigh, "When was the last time Fishlegs stood up to you about anything?"

"I don't know," Fishguts admitted.

"You don't know because he never has," Ribbon stated, looking her husband dead in the eye, "About anything."

"That's not true," Fishguts said disbelievingly.

"Fishlegs has let you walk all over him about everything," Ribbon explained, "Even the first time you tried to stop him from being friends with Hiccup. Something's changed. He's…braver now than he was before and I think Hiccup and Princess Merida have something to do with it."

"Oh, you don't know what you're talking about," Fishguts said as he waved his hand dismissively at his wife.

"Time will tell, dear husband," Ribbon replied as she brought her attention back to her work, "Time will tell."

_Meanwhile,_

Hiccup quietly opened the door to his home, peeking in as he did. He saw his father sitting by the fireplace, his helmet removed and his eyes focused on the burning embers which he was prodding with a fire poker. His attention seemed to be wholly on the fire, giving Hiccup the hope that he and Merida could slip by unnoticed. Turning his attention to the redhead standing anxiously behind him, Hiccup signaled for her to follow him inside and remain as quiet as possible. Merida nodded in reply and the two slipped inside, closing the door behind them.

Their eyes focused on Stoick, the two teenagers walked briskly but quietly towards the stairs, doing their best to not draw attention towards themselves. Reaching the foot of the stairs, Hiccup and Merida carefully began to make their way up to the second level, starting to believe they had gotten by the Viking chieftain without being noticed.

"Hiccup," Stoick suddenly said as he sat up taller, causing the two teenagers to freeze in place and grimace.

"Dad!" Hiccup replied awkwardly, before sighing and taking a step back, "Uh…I have to talk to you."

"I need to speak to ye too, son," Stoick replied as he stood up and faced Hiccup and Merida, walking over to the stairs,

"Ah, uh, guess Ah shud jist leave ye two alone tae talk," Merida stated as she made a move to leave, but stopped when Stoick held up his hand.

"I need to speak with ye as well, girl," Stoick said.

"Oh," Merida replied, taking a step back so she was even with Hiccup as she blinked in surprise, "Alright then."

Both Hiccup and Stoick took deep breathes as they prepared to say what they needed to say.

"I think it's time ye both learned to fight dragons," Stoick stated, gesturing with his hand while not looking at Merida or Hiccup.

"I decided I don't want to fight dragons," Hiccup said at the same time as he father, unwittingly making the same motions as well.

"What?" they both said before turning to Merida.

"Daenae look at me," Merida replied, holding her hands up in defeat.

"Um, ye go first," Stoick said, pointing at his son.

"No, no, you go first," Hiccup replied as he and Merida climbed back down the stairs.

"Alright," Stoick sighed, clasping his hands together, "You two get yer wish. Dragon trainin'. Ye both start in the mornin' with the others."

Hiccup and Merida both gasped in surprise before glancing at each other.

"Oh man, I should have gone first," Hiccup moaned as he tried to think of a way out of the situation, "because I was thinking, you know, we have a surplus of dragon-fighting Vikings but do we have enough…bread-making Vikings, or small home repair Vikings?"

There was an awkward silence as both Merida and Stoick looked at Hiccup like he had grown an extra head.

"What's he talkin' about?" Stoick asked Merida.

"Ah hae nae idea," Merida replied honestly, not taking her eyes off of Hiccup.

"Ye'll need this," Stoick said, picking up an axe and handing it to Hiccup, who nearly fell over from the weight.

"One for you too," Stoick continued as he picked up a matching axe and handed it to Merida, who fumbled with it in surprise.

"I don't want to fight dragons," Hiccup admitted fearfully.

"Come on," Stoick scoffed in amusement as he turned away from the stairs, "Yes ye do."

"Let me rephrase," Hiccup said as he followed his father, "Dad, I can't kill dragons."

"But ye will kill dragons," Stoick said encouragingly.

"No, I'm really, very, extra sure that I won't," Hiccup argued as he tried to keep his grip on the axe without tipping over.

"The time has come, Hiccup," Stoick stated as he turned back to face his son.

"Can you not hear me?" Hiccup questioned, before turning to Merida, "You can hear me right? I am talking?"

"This is serious, son," Stoick said, bringing Hiccup's attention back to him, "When ye carry that axe, ye carry all of us with you. That means ye walk like us, ye talk like us, and ye think like us. Deal?"

"This conversation is feeling very one sided," Hiccup groused.

"Deal?" Stoick pressed, growing annoyed.

Hiccup sighed in defeat.

"Deal," he muttered.

"Good," Stoick replied with a nod of his head, before turning his attention to Merida, "This all goes double for you, girl. By doing this, I am bringin' ye into the tribe. I'm makin' you one of us in a way that not even yer marriage to Hiccup will. Ye will learn our ways and ye will be a Viking. I'm trusting that ye can handle that. Gobber says that ye've become closer to my boy. I'm bettin' on him bein' right and investin' in you. I am hopin' that by doin' this it will make you a better wife, a better partner for him than if I didn't."

"Ah-Ah daenae know whit tae say," Merida said, taken aback.

"How about deal?" Stoick suggested.

"Oh, right," Merida stated, flushing with embarrassment, "Deal."

"Good," Stoick said as he picked up a bag and flung it over his shoulder before putting his helmet on, "We're makin' one last search for the dragons' nest. I'm goin' down to the dock to prepare for the journey. We leave with the dawn. So, train hard, I'll see you both soon. Probably."

"We'll be here when you get back," Hiccup said with a sigh as Stoick exited the house and closed the door behind him, "Probably."

_The next day,_

It was a grey, overcast day as the Viking teenagers made their way down to the arena. Fishlegs walked by himself, shuffling his feet and sighing as he went, palming the old, worn two-handed warhammer his father had given him on his last birthday. Looking up, he saw Snotlout and Tuffnut glancing back at him, sneering as they did, Snotlout resting a mace against his shoulder while Tuffnut played with the two-headed spear he was carrying. Fishlegs then looked over at the girls. Ruffnut noticed his watching and rolled her eyes before turning away, fiddling with the knife and hatchet she was carrying. Astrid, however, held his gaze for a few moments before shaking her head and turning away as well, lifting her waraxe onto her shoulder. He sighed again and shook his head. This was not going to be an enjoyable experience, he could already tell.

As they reached the portcullis-blocked entrance leading into the arena, they found Gobber waiting for them with his hook hand equipped. He eyed Snotlout and Tuffnut wearily for a moment before smirking at the group.

"Well, looks like everyane is here" he said as he turned to the portcullis and lifted it up, "Welcome tae dragon trainin'!"

As they entered the arena, the teenagers took the time to look around, most of their faces frozen in expressions of awe and wonder, as the majority of them had never been able to see the arena from the inside before.

"I hope I get some serious burns," Tuffnut stated with all too much seriousness.

"I'm hoping for some mauling," Ruffnut commented, nonchalantly, "Like on my shoulder or lower back."

"Yeah," Astrid agreed, "It's only fun if you get a scar out of it."

"Ah daenae think Ah'll ever understand whit Vikings consider fun," a new voice said from behind them. Turning, they found Hiccup and Merida standing next to Gobber, Both holding the axes Stoick had given them the night before while Merida also had her bow slung around her shoulders along with her quiver.

As Fishlegs face lit up with elation, Snotlout, Tuffnut and Ruffnut look on incredulously, and Astrid began to seethe.

"What are they doing here!?" Astrid demanded, glaring at Gobber as she pointed an accusatory finger at Hicup and Merida, before turning her attention towards them, "What are you doing here!?"

"We're here fer th' same reason ye are," Merida stated, narrowing her eyes at Astrid, "Tae learn how tae fight dragons."

"You're an outsider!" Astrid shouted, "You have no right to be here! Especially not with this loser!"

"Well, yer chief said we dae," Merida shot back, glaring at Astrid, "Ye goin' tae argue with him aboot it?"

Astrid growled but didn't argue, clenching her hands into fists until her knuckles turned white. Snotlout meanwhile was glaring at Hiccup, who seemed more interested in examining the dirt on his boots.

"You're in over your head, little princess," Astrid stated forebodingly.

"We'll see," Merida shot back, not taking her eyes from Astrid's own.

"Alright ye two, 'at's enough. Let's get started!" Gobber stated, stepping between the two and bringing attention back to himself, "Th' recruit who does th' best will win th' honor o' killin' his or her first dragon in front o' th' entire village."

"Hiccup, Fishlegs and Merida already killed a Night Fury, so does that disqualify them?" Snotlout joked, causing Ruffnut and Tuffnut to laugh as Hiccup sighed while Merida turned to glare at Snotlout and Fishlegs walked over to their side as the other teens moved away.

"Hey guys!" he said, a smile on his face so contagious that Hiccup and Merida couldn't help but return it, "I can't believe you got in! What happened?"

"Guess Gobber talked to my dad and got him to change his mind," Hiccup explained with a shrug.

"Your dad can change his mind about things?" Fishlegs questioned in surprise.

"Trust me, Ah was jist as surprised as ye are," Merida answered.

"Figures he changes his mind after I don't want it anymore," Hiccup states with a sigh.

"I know what you mean," Fishlegs groaned, "I feel bad about it to after what happened with the Night Fury, but there's no way I could tell my dad I didn't want to do dragon training anymore. He's already mad enough because I've been hanging out with you guys."

"Sorry about that, bud," Hiccup apologized, giving his friend a sad smile.

"Don't worry about it," Fishlegs replied, waving the apology away, "It's nothing I can't handle."

"You sure about that?" Hiccup questioned, not buying what his friend was saying, "I know how your dad can be."

"Trust me," Fishlegs said resolutely, "I can handle it."

"All right ye three, come along," Gobber said as he walked over to the trio of teenagers and began to lead them over towards the others, "Now, keep yer wits aboot ye an' stick together. A Vikings anly as good as th' man or woman standin' next tae him. Got it?"

The three nodded in affirmation, earning a smile from Gobber.

"'At's whit Ah like tae hear," Gobber stated with a smile, "Ah got a lot o' faith in ye three. Daenae let me down."

The three teenagers shared a nervous glance as Gobber turned away from them in order to address the group as a whole.

"Behind these doors are jist a few o' th' many species ye will learn tae fight," Gobber announced, folding his arms behind his back as he walked past the heavy wooden and iron doors that held the captive dragons.

"Th' Deadly Nadder," Gobber announced, an evil grin on his face.

"Speed eight. Armor sixteen," Fishlegs mumbled to himself, causing Hiccup to sigh and roll his eyes.

"Th' Hideous Zippleback," Gobber continued, indicating to the appropriate door.

"Plus eleven stealth times two," Fishlegs muttered excitedly.

"Th' Monstrous Nightmare," Gobber said forebodingly.

"Firepower fifteen," Fishlegs said louder, drawing glances from Hiccup and Merida.

"Th' Timberjack," Gobber rattled on.

"Speed twelve. Attack ten," Fishlegs stated at a quickened pace.

"Th' Terrible Terror," Gobber stated.

"Attack eight. Venom twelve!" Fishlegs droned, almost in a trance.

"Cud ye stop 'at, Fishlegs!?" Gobber shouted in annoyance, before turning to the last door and grabbing its release lever, "An' th' Gronckle."

"Jaw strength eight," Fishlegs whispered to Merida, earning a raised eyebrow from the princess.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait!" Snotlout exclaimed, his eyes wide as he stepped forward, "Aren't you going to teach us first?"

"Please, ye've all been trainin' with yer families fer years," Gobber replied, shooting Snotlout an evil grin, "Besides, Ah believe in learnin' on th' job."

With that, Gobber pulled down on the lever, releasing the weight holding the door closed and allowing the dragon inside to come bursting out. It was small for a dragon and rather round in shape, almost looking like it was made of four greenish-brown spheres that had been stuck together in a line and covered in yellow spikes. Its head was dominated by a massive mouth filled with razor sharp teeth and topped with a large, round nose. A pair of forward-facing yellow eyes scanned the arena as the Gronckle buzzed around on a pair of small wings that flapped rapidly like an insect's.

"Today is aboot survival," Gobber stated, the teenagers scattering as the Gronckle's momentum caused it to slam into one of the arena walls where it fell to the ground and scrambled to its stubby feet, "If ye get blasted, ye're dead."

As Gobber spoke, the Gronckle scooped up some large rocks into its maw.

"Quick!" Gobber shouted, "Whit's th' first thing ye're gaein' tae need!?"

"A doctor!?" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Plus five speed!?" Fishlegs guessed, on the verge of panicking.

"A shield!" Merida shouted, rolling her eyes at her friends.

"A shield!" Gobber agreed, "Gae!"

The teenagers all rushed to the edges of the arena, where racks of weapons and, more importantly, shields had been set up. Reaching the edge of the arena first, Merida grabbed a shield and tossed it to Fishlegs, who snagged it out of the air after bobbling it for a moment. She quickly turned around, grabbed another shield and tossed it to Hiccup. Hiccup, however, wasn't nearly as prepared as Fishlegs was and the wooden shield hit him the gut, knocking him to the ground and expelling the air from his lungs.

"Sorry!" Merida exclaimed grabbing a shield of her own, as did Astrid and Snotlout. Hiccup waved her apology off, coughing violently as Fishlegs pulled him to his feet and stuck the shield in his hands.

"Yer most important piece o' equipment is yer shield!" Gobber explained, "If ye must make a choice between a sword or a shield, take th' shield!"

As the others picked up their shields, Ruffnut and Tuffnut ran over to a pile of shields and each attempted to grab the same shield for themselves.

"Get your hands off my shield!" Tuffnut shouted at his sister as they tried to yank the shield out of one another's hands.

"There's like a million shields!" Ruffnut protested.

"Take that one, it has a flower on it" Tuffnut stated, indicating towards a different shield, "Girls like flowers."

As he said that, Ruffnut managed to yank the shield out of her brother's grasp before smacking him in the face with it.

"Oops, now this one has blood on it," Ruffnut quipped, laughing at her brother.

Tuffnut growled in anger and grabbed the shield again, attempting to wrench it out of his sister's grip. Before he could though, the Gronckle came buzzing by, fire a fireball at them. The fireball hit the shield, shattering it and sending the twins spinning to the ground.

"Tuffnut! Ruffnut!" Gobber shouted, "Ye're out!"

"What?" the twins asked shakily as they pushed themselves to their feet.

"Those shields are good fer another thin'! Noise!" Gobber continued, "Make lots o' it an' throw off a dragon's aim!"

Hiccup, Merida, Fishlegs, Astrid and Snotlout began banging their weapons against their shields, the loud clanging noise confusing the Gronckle, and causing it to hover in the middle of the arena in a daze.

"All dragons hae a limited number o' shots!" Gobber instructed, "How many does a Gronckle hae?"

"Five?" Snotlout guessed.

"No, six!" Fishlegs exclaimed confidently as he stopped banging on his shield.

"Yes, six!" Gobber agreed, "One fer each o' ye!"

"What?" Fishlegs questioned, not noticing the Gronckle eyeing him dangerously.

"Fishlegs! Get down!" Merida shouted, before barreling into him with her shield, sending them both sprawling across the ground as the Gronckle shot a fireball at them, striking the ground where Fishlegs had been standing a moment before.

"There," Merida said with a smile, patting Fishlegs on the shoulder as they picked themselves up, "Now we're even."

"Thanks!" Fishlegs replied, before turning his attention back towards the action, "Hiccup, you okay!?"

As Fishlegs asked, the Gronckle fired a shot in Hiccup's direction, which the Viking teen barely managed to scoot around.

"Oh yeah, great!" Hiccup shot back sarcastically, "Best day of my life!"

On the other side of the arena, Astrid and Snotlout stood side by side, watching the Gronckle hesitantly.

"So, looks like it's just you and me against the losers," Snotlout stated with a chuckle, shooting a glance towards Astrid.

"Nope, just you," Astrid replied before flipping away as the Gronckle shot a fireball at them. Snotlout's eyes widen in shock and he managed to get his shield up in time to block the fireball, the blast knocking him off his feet and sent him rolling across the ground in a shower of splinters.

"Snotlout!" Gobber called with a laugh, "Ye're done!"

"All right, lads," Merida said as she, Hiccup and Fishlegs stood in a triangle formation facing the Gronckle as it hovered in the middle of the arena with Astrid on the other side, "Remember whit Gobber said. Jist stick taegether an' we'll be fine."

The boys nodded as they watched the Gronckle wearily. The dragon turned to face Astrid who was bouncing on her toes in anticipation of the dragon firing another shot. Snarling, the Gronckle charged at her, its maw open wide. Astrid dodged out of the way a split second too late, the Gronckle sideswiping her and sending her spinning to the ground, her shield sliding out of her hands and across the arena floor.

Shaking her head clear, Astrid turned to see the Gronckle swinging around to face her, smoke rising from behind its fangs. Merida watched in surprise as she saw Astrid scrambling for her shield. Glancing back towards the Gronckle, she saw the dragon barreling down on the Viking girl. She glanced back at Astrid, and realized that she wouldn't reach her shield in time. Merida's brow furrowed as she seemed to debate with herself before growling in frustration and tossing her shield and axe to the ground.

"Mer?" Hiccup asked, looking at her in confusion, "What are you doing?"

"Somethin' Ah will probably regret," Merida grumbled as she unslung her bow, drew an arrow, notched it and aimed it at the Gronckle as it bared down on Astrid, looking ready to swallow her whole. Taking a deep breath and narrowing her eyes, she loosed the arrow, hitting the Gronckle in the side, the iron arrow head digging into the dragon's tough hide, causing it to screech in pain as it flew past Astrid and changed its trajectory so that it was flying straight at Merida.

"Damn," she whispered to herself, her eyes widening as she watched the angry dragon charge towards her.

"Merida move!" Gobber shouted as Merida tossed her bow to the side before scooping up her shield and holding it up just as the Gronckle shot a fireball at her. The blast hit her shield dead on, smashing the shield and sending Merida flying through the air in a storm of splinters and sparks. Hitting the ground with a grunt of pain, Merida rolled across the hard stone as the Gronckle chased after her, its teeth shinning against the glowing fire in its belly. Rolling to a stop, Merida lifted her head up only to find the Gronckle only a few feet away from her, roaring as it moved to bite her in half.

"Merida!" Hiccup shouted, running over as fast as he could and leaping at the Gronckle, dropping his axe to grab the shield with both hands as he slammed it into the dragon while throwing all of his weight behind it. The resulting force budged the dragon barely an inch as Hiccup bounced off the Gronckle and fell hard onto his back, the shield rolling away. Despite the lack of force behind the blow, it still managed to catch the Gronckle's attention, causing it to stop, land and turn towards him, growling angrily.

"Hiccup!" Merida screamed in fear as she scrambled to her feet.

"Oh boy," Hiccup whispered as the Gronckle crawled towards him, looking ready to bite a chunk out of his hide.

"I got you, bud!" Hiccup heard Fishlegs shout from behind him before he felt one of his friend's large hands wrap around the back of Hiccup's vest before dragging him across the ground as Fishlegs stepped between him and the dragon. Before the Gronckle could react, Fishlegs stepped forward and swung his hammer at dragon and hit it hard across the jaw, sending it reeling back a few feet.

"Fishlegs, whit in Thor's name are ye daein'!?" Gobber demanded as he watched the large teen in shock.

"I don't know!" Fishlegs shouted back, shrugging as he scooped up Hiccup's dropped shield with his free hand, "Improvising!?"

Before he could say anything more, the Gronckle rounded on Fishlegs, biting at him with its massive jaws. Taking a quick step back, Fishlegs avoided the attack before countering by slamming his shield against the dragon's nose. As the Gronckle stumbled back, Fishlegs pressed his advantage and hit the dragon on the jaw with his hammer again, before following up with a backhand that sent the Gronckle completely reeling.

"Keep on it, Fishlegs!" Merida shouted encouragingly as she helped Hiccup to his feet, "Daenae give 'at lug o' meat an inch!"

As the Gronckle shook its head clear, it turned back towards Fishlegs, snarling viciously at the Viking. Before it could attack him though, Fishlegs began to bang his hammer against his shield, the loud noise dazing the Gronckle. Pushing his advantage, Fishlegs leapt forward, slamming his shield against the dragon's face again, sending the Gronckle stumbling back some more. Spinning around, Fishlegs swung his hammer up, hitting the Gronckle on its jaw, the force of the blow forcing the dragon onto its hind legs and nearly knocking it onto its back.

Trying to continue his attack, Fishlegs thrust his shield at the Gronckle, but was stopped when the Gronckle snapped its jaw at him and bit into the shield. Fishlegs struggled with the Gronckle for a few moments before the dragon wrenched the shield off his arm. The Gronckle thrashed around for a second before tossing the shield aside, sending it crashing into the wall. Fishlegs looked on it surprise, leaving him off guard as the Gronckle slammed head first into him, knocking Fishlegs off his feet before slamming him to the ground. Pinning him to the arena floor with one of its heavy feet, the Gronckle snarled at him for a moment, its yellow eyes locking with his blue. For a split second, Fishlegs and the Gronckle merely stared at each other. Then, just as suddenly, a light began to glow in the back of the Gronckle's throat as it opened its mouth wide and pointed it at Fishlegs.

Before the Gronckle could fire the blast though, Gobber's hook-hand suddenly shot out and hooked into the dragon's mouth before yanking it to the side, causing the Gronckle's shot to go wide, slamming into the ground next to Fishleg's head in a shower of sparks and stone shrapnel.

"An' 'at's six," Gobber muttered as he began to drag the Gronckle away from Fishlegs and towards its pen, "Now, gae back tae bed, ye overgrown sausage!"

With that, Gobber spun around before hammer tossing the Gronckle into its pen, smashing it against the back wall of the pen. As the dragon recovered, Gobber rushed over and slammed the doors shut before sealing them.

"Ah think 'at might be enough trainin' fer taeday," Gobber sighed as he leaned against the door.

"Now that was some serious dragon fighting," Hiccup said with a smile as he and Merida walked over and helped Fishlegs to his feet, Merida slinging her bow back around her shoulders "You literally pulled my bacon out of the fire back there."

"Ah'm sorry tae admit Ah didn't think ye had it in ye, Fishlegs" Merida added with a chuckle, "Glad ye proved me wrong."

"Hey!" Astrid shouted, catching their attentions as she stomped over towards them, pointing at Merida "What the Hel was that back there!?"

"Whit?" Merida asked incredulously, "Are ye talkin' aboot th' part where Ah saved yer bloody life? Because if ye are, this is a terrible way tae say thank ye."

"I didn't need your damned help," Astrid spat, glaring at Merida, "I had it under control."

"Aye, keep tellin' yerself 'at," Merida replied, rolling her eyes at the other girl.

"At least she did better than Useless over here," Snotlout spoke up, indicating towards Hiccup, "Did you see him knock himself on his own ass?"

"At least he got a hit in, which is a lot better than I could say about you or the twins, Snotface," Fishlegs said, pointing a finger at Snotlout, earning a glare from him and the twins.

"Oh so you go toe to toe with one Gronckle and suddenly you're the big man in the village?" Tuffnut questioned with a snort, Ruffnut nodding in agreement "Don't make me laugh. I saw you almost get pasted back there!"

Before he knew what had happened, Hiccup saw the group of teenagers before him turn into an angry tangle of pointing fingers and shouting voices. So loud was everyone that he couldn't pick up more than fragments of what anyone person was saying. Sighing, he began messaging his temples as he scrunched his eyes close, feeling his own annoyance threatening to bubble over. Suddenly, his eyes shot back open as he glared angrily at the group before him.

"QUIET!" he bellowed, immediately silencing the group of teenagers as he caught them all off guard, causing them to openly stare at him in shock.

"Don't you all see that if we had actually tried to work together, we probably could have beat that Gronckle?" he asked, "Instead we worked on our own and all got knocked on our asses and now we're standing here arguing about it! We're supposed to be learning how to fight them, not each other!"

The group stared at Hiccup for a few moments, each of them trying to digest what he had said. After a moment, Snotlout rolled his eyes and shook his head dismissively.

"Whatever, I'm not being told what to do by a loser like you," he growled, before turning and walking away, the twins following him after shooting Hiccup a dirty glare.

Astrid watched them go for a few moments before turning to look Hiccup, Merida and Fishlegs. After a moment, she sighed out of her nose.

"Look, I get what you're saying, Hiccup," Astrid stated, looking at her feet, "And I suppose you're right. But this isn't about working together, and holding hands and all that garbage. It's about proving ourselves, and proving which one of us is the best. I will prove that I am the best. And none of you are going to stand in my way."

Taking a step back, she gave each of them an appraising look.

"Still, you all did better than the others," she admitted, before turning to look at Merida, "Even you."

"Thanks…Ah guess," Merida replied uncertainly, eyeing Astrid suspiciously.

"Don't mention it," Astrid stated, her eyes narrowing, "Seriously, don't mention it. To anyone."

Merida and Hiccup shared a quick glance as Astrid began to walk away, before she paused and turned back to face them.

"Oh, and Fishlegs," she said, giving the young man another appraising look before smirking, "You really were pretty impressive today."

"Um….thanks?" Fishlegs replied as Astrid turned and walked away without another word.

"Whit was 'at aboot?" Merida questioned.

"I have no idea," Fishlegs admitted.

"Nae bad fer yer first day o' trainin', ye lot," Gobber said as he wandered over to the trio, before turning to address Hiccup and Fishlegs, "Ah was especially impressed with ye two."

"What?" Hiccup asked in confusion, "I mean I understand why you'd be impressed with Fishlegs, but what did I do?"

"True, ye werenae th' best when it came tae fightin' th' Gronckle," Gobber admitted with a nod, "It's whit ye did afterwards 'at impressed me."

"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked in confusion.

"When Ah was in dragon trainin' with yer parents an' uncle, we all faced th' same problem," Gobber explained, "None o' us wanted tae work taegether. Yer father was a bit o' a blowhard back in those days, an' liked tae throw his weight around. Spitelout…well, he was a lot like Snotlout. An' Bertha…well, she was a lot like Astrid. An' I had more than a few thin's tae prove. Sae, ye can imagine it didnae take much fer us tae devolve intae shoutin' matches like th' ane ye lot had taeday. If it werenae fer ane person, we probably wudnae hae made it through trainin' without killin' each other."

"Who was 'at person?" Merida questioned.

"Hiccup's mother," Gobber stated, pointing at Hiccup, "Val was always th' one brokerin' peace when tempers flared an' words got heated. Ah can see she passed 'at on tae ye, Hiccup. It's good tae see it again, 'at compassion, because it's somethin' 'at this village has been lackin' since she passed."

Hiccup smiled at Gobber as the large man placed his good hand on the young man's shoulder.

"As much as Ah hate tae admit it, nae every fight can be won with fire an' steel," Gobber stated, a smile on his face, "Yer mother taught me 'at, sae daenae ye gae forgettin' it."

"I won't," Hiccup replied, smiling back, before glancing at Merida as he felt her slip her hand into his and give it a squeeze.

"Good," Gobber said as he began to lead them out of the arena, "An' ane more lesson 'at Ah shud impart on ye after taeday. Ye hae tae be on yer toes, because a dragon will always gae fer th' kill."

"Always?" Merida questioned.

"Always," Gobber answered seriously before turning and heading out of the arena, not noticing the three teenagers share a meaningful look with one another.

A/N: So this chapter got away from me a little bit, but I had fun writing it. I hope you guys like the changes I made to the first dragon lesson as well as the other scenes. As always, critiques and feedback is always welcome so please review! Later!


	16. The Weakest Link

**Chapter 16: The Weakest Link**

"A dragon always goes for the kill," Hiccup repeated Gobber's words from earlier that morning as he examined the remains of the bola on the forest floor, "So, why didn't you?"

Standing up, he turned to face Merida and Fishlegs who were standing behind him, observing the surrounding area.

"Looks like it went this way," Merida stated, pointing in the direction of the broken foliage where they had seen the Night Fury disappear.

"What's the point of looking for it anyway?" Fishlegs questioned, "I mean it probably flew off yesterday. Why would it hang around?"

"Call it a hunch," Hiccup replied with a shrug, "Something seemed off about the way it was flying. Besides, what do we have to lose by checking?"

"I guess you're right," Fishlegs replied with a shrug of his own.

Turning to Merida, Hiccup motioned for her to take the lead.

"You were telling me about how your dad used to take you on hunting trips, right?" Hiccup asked, smiling at her, "You think you can take the lead on this?"

"Well, Ah'm nae sure Ah can track such an elusive creature," Merida deadpanned as she indicated towards the very obvious trail of destruction the Night Fury had left in its wake.

"I have faith in you, o mighty huntress," Hiccup joked, patting Merida on the shoulder, causing her to chuckle and roll her eyes at him.

"Come on then," she said, motioning for the boys to follow her. Hiccup began to, before noticing that Fishlegs wasn't following. Turning around, he found the larger boy looking off into space with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Huntress," Fishlegs whispered to himself, seemingly deep in thought.

"Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked with concern, "You okay, bud?"

"Huh?" Fishlegs said, snapping back to reality before shaking his head, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking. I'm right behind you guys."

"Alright," Hiccup replied with a smirk as he and Merida began making their way into the woods down the path the Night Fury had gone, "Just don't get lost in the woods while you're lost in thought."

"Don't worry," Fishlegs replied with a chuckle before another thoughtful look crossed his face as he followed them, "I'm with you guys."

The trio walked through the woods for a few minutes, Merida in the lead, following the various signs of something large having gone crashing through the forest the day before. Eventually, they came to a large rock wall with evidence that the Night Fury had gone over it. Finding a crevice in the rock wall that they could fit through, the three made their way through it, coming to a small, isolated valley largely dominated by a large pond being fed by a small waterfall coming over the wall on the opposite side from them.

"Ah daenae see anythin' else," Merida said as she scanned the valley, "Looks like th' trail ends here."

"Damn," Hiccup swore, "So much for that idea."

"What are those?" Fishlegs questioned, indicating towards something lying on the ground.

Looking down, they noticed what looked like black flakes on the ground. Kneeling down, Merida picked one up to examine it closer.

"It looks like-" she began but was interrupted when a large shadow suddenly shot by the crevice with a loud roar, startling the three teens. Quickly moving back, they watched as the Night Fury tried to claw its way up the sheer cliff side that surrounded the valley, before falling and swooping over the lake, crashing onto the opposite bank from where the trio hid, watching. They slowly stood up, taking a step out of the crevice before looking at each other, each wearing matching looks of excitement and wonder.

Looking around, they spotted a lower ledge that they could reach and get a better look at what the Night Fury was doing. As they lay on their bellies and crawled up to the precipice of the ledge, the Night Fury leapt into the air and started flying, only to come crashing back down a second later.

Reaching into his vest, Hiccup pulled out his sketchbook, watching the Night Fury as it tried, apparently in vain, to escape the valley while doing a quick sketch of it on one of the blank pages.

"Why doesn't it just fly away?" Fishlegs questioned as they watched the Night Fury blast the ground in apparent frustration.

"Look," Merida whispered, pointing at the Night Fury, specifically its tail, "It looks like it's supposed tae hae two fins on its tail, bit it anly has ane."

"It must need both to stabilize itself in the air," Hiccup hypothesized as they watched the Night Fury glide awkwardly to the other side of the pond and begin trying to snatch fish out of the water while Hiccup erased the missing tailfin from his sketch, "It can't fly straight without them. It must have lost one when…when I shot it out it down."

A sad look crossed Hiccup's face as he spoke, catching Merida's attention while Fishlegs watched the Night Fury in wonder. Reaching out, she ran her hand through his hair and stroked his cheek with her thumb. Hiccup turned to look at her in surprise, a bright blush crossing his face. Merida blushed in turn, a shy smile on her face as she pulled her hand back and looked away. Smiling, Hiccup set his pencil down before reaching out and placing his hand on hers, causing her to look back at him and smile.

Unbeknownst to either of them however, the pencil had begun rolling towards the edge of the ledge. Noticing it at the last minute, Hiccup turned and reached out for it, his eyes wide with fear, but missed it and the pencil went tumbling off the ledge, clattering to the ground. Noticing the pencil fall and hearing it hit the ground. Slowly, the Night Fury lifted its head, catching sight of the three teenagers watching it. It stared at them with an even gaze. Specifically, it stared at Hiccup, holding his gaze as the young man sat up straighter while the Night Fury tilted its head to the side.

"I zink he likes you," a new, yet familiar voice said from behind them said, causing them all to jump and almost sending Hiccup tumbling over the ledge. Turning around, they found Hilde standing behind them, watching them with a bemused smile as her pet raven cawed at them.

"Hilde!" Merida exclaimed in surprise, holding her hand over heart, "Whit are ye daein' here!?"

"I'm assumink for zee same reason you all are," Hilde replied before indicating to the Night Fury, which was still watching them wearily, "I found zee pas of destruction zat zis majestic creature left in its vake and followed it here. I take it you sree are zee reason it's shtuck in zis falley?"

"Yeah," Hiccup sighed, "It's my fault specifically."

"Fault implies you feel guilty about your actions," Hilde observed, "I sought zis is vhat you vanted. After all, no one has ever managed to take down a Night Fury before. Vhat changed?"

"I realized it wasn't some monster, something that needed to be killed," Hiccup explained, "It was scared. Just like I was."

"So you couldn't do it," Hilde observed with an enigmatic smile.

"Basically," Hiccup replied with a shrug.

"So Vhat brings you here?" Hilde asked.

"I wanted to know more about it," Hiccup explained, "It had a chance to kill me and Merida, but it didn't take it."

"Curious indeed," Hilde agreed.

"Hilde, dae ye know anythin' aboot dragons?" Merida questioned.

"Better zan most, I can assure you," Hilde replied, "And let me tell you, zere is more to dragons zen vhat your elders hafe taught you, or even vhat zeir elders taught zem."

"So do you think there's a reason the Night Fury spared us," Hiccup questioned.

"Oh yes, of course," Hilde answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Dragons are much smarter zan your run of zee mill animal. Zey hardly efer do anyzing wisout zere beink a reason for it."

"What do you think that reason is?" Hiccup asked.

"Zat, dear Reiter, is for you to find out," Hilde answered enigmatically, "But I tire of talks of dragons. Schall vee return to my home for a cup of tea? Zere is somezing I found zat I wisched to schow you."

With that, Hilde turned and made her way through the crevice without another word. Merida and Hiccup looked at each other before shrugging and following. Fishlegs hung back for a moment before sighing and following as well.

The small group spent a few minutes moving through the brush. Eventually, they came to a part of the woods that none of the teens could recognize, and, sure enough, a moment later when they came out of the brush, they found themselves standing before the mysterious stone circle. The sight of the structure still sent chill down their spines, and the teen did their best to hurry along past it as they made their way to Hilde's home.

"Sae, whit is it 'at ye wanted tae show us, Hilde?" Merida asked as they entered Hilde's simple home.

"Vell, after zee little trainink session you sree had here, I got to sinking, and I remembered somesing one of you might find useful," Hilde explained as she walked over to the corner of her workroom and began rummaging through some of her things.

"Who?" Fishlegs questioned, flinching as Hilde's pet crow landed on the table in front of him and cawed at him.

"Hiccup," Hilde answered before pulling out a long object bundled in cloth and turning to face them.

"What is that?" Hiccup questioned.

"Take it and see," Hilde instructed, holding it out for him to take. Hesitantly reaching out, Hiccup took the bundle before slowly unwrapping it, Merida and Fishlegs walking over to his side and looking over his shoulder. All three gasped in surprise when they saw what was inside.

Sitting in Hiccup's hands, surrounded by its clothe wrapping, was a sword. The finely polished metal gleamed in the flickering firelight, so reflective that Hiccup could see his reflection looking back at him from the blade. The sword looked strange to him, so different than the longswords and broadswords he had made with Gobber. It was shorter, looking like Hiccup himself could hold it one handed, while someone his father size would use it as little more than a dagger. It had a wavy curve to it as well, looking like it was designed for cutting, though the blade came to a dangerous point all the same. The handle was wrapped in fine leather while a runic word was carved into the blade.

"It's beautiful," Merida whispered, covering her mouth with her hand in shock.

"You want to give this…to me?" Hiccup questioned in astonishment, looking at Hilde with a surprised look on his face.

"It vill serve you better zan me," Hilde replied with a shrug, smiling gently at Hiccup, "I have zee scabbard around here somevhere too."

"I…I don't know what to say," Hiccup said, "I don't even know what kind of sword this is."

"It's a saber," Fishlegs said, "A smaller type of sword. Lighter and quicker. They're more popular in the south."

"Ye really dae know everythin'," Merida commented, smiling and raising an eyebrow at Fishlegs who shrugged and smirked in embarrassment.

"Do you mind if I look at it?" Fishlegs asked as he reached out for the sword.

"No, go right ahead," Hiccup replied, handing the sword to his friend.

Gingerly holding the sword up so he could get a better look at the blade, Fishlegs narrowed his eyes at the saber.

"This word written on the blade is Old Norse," Fishlegs stated, "I think…I think it says 'Bemühen.'"

"Bemühen?" Merida questioned, "Whit daes 'at mean?"

"I think…I think it means…" Fishlegs mumbled before sighing in frustration, "I know I've seen this word before."

"Endeavor," Hilde spoke up, "It means endeavor."

"Endeavor?" Hiccup questioned, "Why does it have the word endeavor written on it?"

"Because it's nae a word," Merida stated, a smirk on her face, "It's a name. Th' sword's name is Endeavor."

Hilde nodded, smiling at Merida.

"Why would you name a sword Endeavor?" Hiccup questioned.

"Any sword vors its salt has a name," Hilde explained, "Give it a try."

Fishlegs handed the sword back to Hiccup, who grasped it by the handle with his left hand and held it out in front of himself.

"Whit dae ye think?" Merida questioned.

"It's really…light," Hiccup commented, twisting the sword in his hand.

"Like I said, they're designed to be light," Fishlegs stated.

"I know, I've just never held a sword this light before," Hiccup explained, "It feels…good."

"Fancy a spar?" Merida questioned, a wicked gleam in her eye.

"What?" Hiccup asked, "Right now?"

"Whit's th' point o' gettin' a fancy new sword if ye daenae use it?" Merida inquired as she picked up one of the training swords and gave it a twirl, "Sae, whit dae ye say, Hic? Fancy a gae?"

Hiccup gulped nervously before smiling uncertainly at the princess.

A few minutes later, Hiccup and Merida stood facing each other in the clearing outside Hilde's home, Fishlegs and Hilde standing to the side with fresh cups of tea in their hand with Merida's bow and quiver sitting next to them along with Endeavor's rediscovered scabbard.

"Hilde, can I ask you a question?" Fishlegs asked.

"Of course, Leser," Hilde replied, taking a sip from her cup.

"Why do you have that sword?" Fishlegs asked, "It seems very old and very well made."

"Vhen you get to be my age, you realize you'fe collected all sorts of sings wizout intendink to," Hilde explained without explaining at all.

"Right…" Fishlegs said, letting the subject go as he took a sip of his tea, "Can I ask you another question?"

"Yes," Hilde stated, a smirk on her face.

"Doesn't the word jager mean hunter?" Fishlegs asked

"Indeed it does," Hilde answered, eyeing Fishlegs with a raised eyebrow, "Vhy do you vish to know?"

"Just wondering," Fishlegs replied vaguely as he shrugged his shoulders, causing Hilde's smirk to grow.

Meanwhile, Hiccup looked nervously at Merida as he took a few practice swings with Endeavor, the sword flashing in the late afternoon sun as it slashed through the air.

"You sure this is a good idea, Mer?" Hiccup questioned, "I mean, you're better than me, but my sword is made of metal and yours is wood. I don't want to accidentally hurt you or anything."

"Oh, quit yer belly achin'," Merida said dismissively as she slid into a fighting stance, "It will be fine."

"If you say so," Hiccup replied with a sigh before slipping into the stance Merida had taught him.

With that, Merida smirked before rushing at him, her sword raised to strike. Seeing the attack coming, Hiccup lifted Endeavor to block, surprising himself with how quickly he was able to lift the sword. As Merida stabbed at him with the wooden blade, Hiccup parried it, pushing her attack to the side as he stepped around her. Merida quickly caught herself, spinning around and swinging at Hiccup's head, forcing the young man to duck. Merida quickly followed up with a back kick, hitting Hiccup in the chest and knocking him onto his back.

As Hiccup coughed and rubbed his chest, Merida turned and ran at him, her sword raised to bring it down on him. Raising Endeavor defensively, Hiccup managed to parry the blow, the wooden sword connecting with the metal saber with a loud thunk. Merida tried to step back, but her eyes widened in surprise when she found she couldn't pull her sword back. Looking down, she was amazed to see that the force of her attack had dug the metal blade deep into her wooden sword. Seeing Merida pause, Hiccup quickly pulled back on his own sword, tugging Merida down with it. Rolling further onto his back, Hiccup planted both feet on Merida's chest before pushing up as hard as he could with his legs. The force sent Merida into the air, her sword pulling free of Hiccup's before falling on her back with a thud.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked with concern as he stood up.

Merida coughed as she waved off Hiccup's concern, standing up and signaling for him to continue. Nodding his head, Hiccup took the offensive, running at her with Endeavor raised, forcing Merida to block. The two blades met again, only this time there wasn't the thunk of metal wood. Instead, Endeavor cleaved right through the wooden sword, cutting the blade cleanly in two. Merida stumbled away as the top part of her sword fell into the grass with a soft thud. Merida managed to catch herself before lifting the broken sword up and looking at it in shock. Slowly, she turned to face Hiccup, who looked back at her with equal astonishment.

"Whoa," Fishlegs whispered, surprise frozen on his features.

"Ah guess ye win," Merida commented, a bemused smile on her face.

"I guess so," Hiccup replied with a surprised chuckle, looking at Endeavor in wonder.

The sound of applause caught their attention as they turned to find Hilde clapping her hands.

"Vhat did I tell you, Reiter?" she asked with a grin, "Zat sword is suited for someone like you."

"Thanks Hilde," Hiccup thanked the old woman, "This is really great. I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anysing, dearie," Hilde replied, "You just need to use zee sword vell."

"I will," Hiccup replied sincerely.

"Good," Hilde said before turning her attention to the sky above, "Now, you sree schould probably be heading back to zee village. It's going to storm soon."

"Whit dae ye mean, Hilde?" Merida asked, turning her attention above as well, "There's nae a cloud in th' sky."

"Trust me, Jager," Hilde replied, "An old voman knows zese sings."

_Later_,

Hiccup, Merida and Fishlegs ran through the village as the storm raged over head, seemingly gallons of water pouring down upon them while lightning cut through the sky and thunder shook the very air. They ran down towards the Great Hall, the great braziers that flanked the large door burning in defiance of the rain. Shoving the heavy door open, the three stumbled inside. Within, there were a few Vikings scattered around, mostly those left behind to protect the village and keep it running, along with some of the women who were not trained in combat. Near the back, they saw the other teenagers gathered having a dinner along with Gobber.

The group made their way over towards the table, Merida doing her best to ring the water out of her hair. Hiccup, meanwhile, adjusted the scabbard on his back, the sword being slightly too long to carry on his waist.

"Alright," they heard Gobber's voice carry over the Hall, "Astrid, whit did ye dae wrong?"

"I was sloppy," Astrid replied as the three walked up to the table and grabbed some plates of food, "I missed my footing and the Gronckle got the better of me. I needed…"

Astrid paused as she noticed Merida watching her.

"I needed someone's help to bail me out," Astrid finished, turning her attention to her food.

"There's naethin' wrong with needin' help," Gobber explained as he walked around the table as Hiccup, Merida and Fishlegs sat at another table, "We're all in this together after all. Still, a chain is anly as strong as its weakest link. We hae tae be hard on ourselves. At's how we get better."

Turning his attention to the trio, Gobber eyed Hiccup, raising an eyebrow at the sword but not commenting on it.

"Hiccup," he said, catching the young man's attention, "Whit dae ye think ye did wrong?"

"You mean other than the fact he showed up?" Snotlout joked, "Well, I suppose there's also the fact he didn't get eaten."

Snotlout and Tuffnut chuckled at the joke before Gobber slammed his good hand onto the table, startling the two boys into silence.

"Ah asked Hiccup whit he did wrong," Gobber stated, "Nae whit ye think he did wrong. We hae tae be hard on ourselves, nae each other. Sae keep it tae yerself, Snotlout."

Snotlout crossed his arms and grumbled to himself, but didn't say anything more.

"Now Hiccup, whit dae ye think ye did wrong?" Gobber questioned.

"I wasn't where I needed to be," Hiccup stated, "It probably would have helped if I had some extra weight to throw around."

"That's an understatement," Tuffnut joked, but fell silent when Gobber shot him a warning glare.

"Merida, whit did ye dae wrong?" Gobber questioned.

Merida was silent for a few moments, eyeing Astrid.

"Ah dropped ma shield an' left myself open tae attack," Merida said finally, turning her attention back to her food.

"Fishlegs?" Gobber asked.

"I was reckless," Fishlegs said readily, "And I let myself get distracted."

"Very good," Gobber said with a pleased voice, before pulling a book out of his vest and placing it on the table, "Now, whit did th' others dae right?"

"Wait," Tuffnut said, holding up his hand, "You want us to complement each other now?"

"How can someone keep daein' somethin' right if they daenae know whit they're daein' is right?" Gobber asked, the question doing less to mollify Tuffnut and more to confuse him, "Astrid, whit did th' others dae right?"

Astrid looked around the table for a split second, before lowering her eyes to her food and shrugging his shoulders. Gobber sighed before turning his attention to Merida.

"How aboot ye, Merida?" Gobber asked, "Whit did th' others dae right?"

Merida paused for a second, scanning the table. She could take the easy way out, congratulating Fishlegs for fighting the Gronckle so well one on one, or remembering how many shots the dragon had. Or complimenting Hiccup on being brave enough to charge the Gronckle. But then she looked at the others. The twins giving her disinterested looks. Snotlout pointedly not looking at her. Astrid watching her out of the corner of her eye. She thought back to what Hiccup had said in the arena, about everyone working together. To what Gobber had just said about them all being in this together. Even Astrid had been willing to offer compliments when she felt they were deserved. Sure, one person could play peacekeeper all day long, but there wasn't going to be any actual peace unless someone actually stepped up and did something. Might as well be her.

"Snotlout was pretty fast on his feet out there. He was on th' ball until he let himself get distracted," she stated nonchalantly as she focused more on her dinner before her, "He was also close tae how many shots th' Gronckle had, seemed like an easy mistake tae make."

The whole table was dead quiet as they all openly stared at Merida in surprise, Gobber included.

"At's…at's very good, Merida," Gobber congratulated her, chuckling in a mixture of happiness and surprise.

"Um…yeah," Snotlout added, "Thanks, I guess."

"Whit aboot ye, Snotlout?" Gobber asked, turning his attention to the young man, "Who dae ye think did well taeday?"

"Well…I got to admit," Snotlout said, an awkward smile on his face, "Fishlegs was pretty badass when he took on that Gronckle all by himself."

"Very good," Gobber stated, "Fishlegs?"

"The twins were good about keeping their cool in the beginning," Fishlegs stated.

"Ruff, Tuff?" Gobber continued.

"All right, let's be honest, it was pretty sick when Hiccup checked that dragon with his shield," Ruffnut stated with a smirk, her brother slowly nodding in agreement.

"Hiccup?" Gobber asked, his smile growing.

"Astrid was really mobile out there," Hiccup said readily, "Way more than I could be."

"Astrid?" Gobber questioned, raising his eyebrow at the Viking girl.

Astrid paused for a moment, lifting her eyes for a moment to meet Merida's gaze.

"I wouldn't want to be caught downfield of that bow," Astrid stated after a moment before turning her attention back to her food, ignoring the small smirk that had formed on Merida's face as the others voiced their agreement.

"Very good, all o' ye," Gobber said happily, beaming at his students, "There's hope fer ye lot yet."

As Gobber finished, thunder boomed from outside, drawing his attention towards the ceiling.

"Wonae be an attack taenight," he stated as he began to walk away, "Rest up. Ah'll see ye lot in th' mornin'."

The teens bid Gobber goodnight before they slowly began to finish their meals. As they did, Ruffnut rested her head on her hand as she looked quizzically at Hiccup.

"All right, I've got to ask," she spoke up after a moment, drawing the others' attentions, "Where did the sword come from?"

"Oh uh this?" Hiccup asked nervously, "I…um, made it."

"You made that?" Tuffnut asked, surprised.

"Hiccup's an amazin' weaponsmith," Merida quickly spoke up, unslinging her bow before placing it on the table, "He made ma bow too."

"Whoa really?" Ruffnut asked in wonder, hesitantly reaching out, "Can I touch it?"

A quick instance of panic shot through Merida as she shot a glance at Astrid, who was watching her in turn. Bringing her attention back to Ruffnut though, all she saw in the other girl's eyes was genuine interest.

"Um, yeah, sure," she said hesitantly after a moment, which was all the permission Ruffnut needed to scoop the bow off the table and hold it in front of her. She looked at the bow in wonder, Tuffnut wearing a matching expression as he looked over her shoulder at the weapon. Even Snotlout leaned in to get a closer look.

"These carvings are sick," Ruffnut said, running her thumb over them as she lifted her eyes to look at Hiccup, "You really made this?"

"Uh, yeah…" Hiccup replied, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, "Got the wood from the forest and everything."

"Sweet," Ruffnut whispered in appreciation as she turned her attention back to the bow.

"How far does it shoot?" Tuffnut questioned.

"Ah daenae really know," Merida replied with a shrug, "We've ne'er really tried tae see."

"Guessing pretty far with how hard it hit that Gronckle this morning," Astrid spoke up, earning a raised eyebrow from Merida, to which Astrid replied with a shrug.

"Let's see the sword," Tuffnut said, nodding towards Hiccup as Ruffnut handed Merida her bow back.

"Yeah, come on cuz, let's see what you got," Snotlout encouraged, catching Hiccup off guard because it lacked the mocking tone that so often accompanied anything Snotlout ever said to him.

"Sure, okay," Hiccup replied before reaching up and unsheathing Endeavor, the light from torches scattered around the hall gleaming off the polished steel. Hiccup held it out over the table allowing the others to appreciate it.

"Whoa, no way," Snotlout whispered in wonder.

"You made that?" Tuffnut questioned.

"Uh, yeah," Hiccup lied awkwardly.

"What type of sword is it?" Ruffnut questioned.

"It's a saber, a light sword from down south," Hiccup explained, "Fishlegs told me about them."

"Figures you'd have to build yourself a light weapon to use," Snotlout mocked, the old tone coming back in full force.

"I wouldn't joke about that, Snotlout," Astrid said, looking intently at the sword, "I mean sure, it doesn't pack the same punch as a broadsword, but look at that edge. It looks like it could cut through muscle and bone like a hot knife through butter."

Snotlout's eyes widened as he thought about the implications.

"Care to give it a try, cuz?" Hiccup joked, tilting the blade towards Snotlout, which caused the other boy to lean back in fear.

"How about he put a rain check on that," Snotlout replied as he carefully reached up and pushed the blade away with his finger.

"What's that written on the blade?" Tuffnut asked.

"Oh it's the sword's name," Hiccup explained, pulling the sword back and laying it on the table, "It's the Old Norse word for endeavor."

"Why does your sword have a name?" Ruffnut questioned.

"Every sword worth its salt has a name," Hiccup replied, echoing Hilde's earlier sentiment.

"Nice," Ruffnut stated, before turning her attention towards Merida, "Does your bow have a name?"

"Not yet," Merida replied, looking at her bow thoughtfully, "Haven't put too much thought into it yet."

"Well, if I had a bow that cool, I would name it something sick like Deathbringer or Black Rose or something like that," Ruffnut said excitedly.

"Those are terrible names," Tuffnut commented.

"Your face is terrible," Ruffnut replied before grabbing her brother's head and slamming it against the table, the recoil of which caused him to fall out of his chair and onto his back on the hard stone floor.

"Well, with that said, I think it's time I called it a night," Astrid stated as she pushed herself away from the table and stood up while Tuffnut pulled himself to his feet, "I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Yeah, we should be going too," Hiccup added as he stood up along with Fishlegs and Merida. The group bid everyone a slightly awkward goodnight before making their way out of the Great Hall. The trio paused for a moment outside the door, watching the storm raging outside.

"Well, 'at was…different," Merida stated after a moment.

"Yeah, you could say that again," Fishlegs agreed.

"What made you say those things, Mer?" Hiccup questioned.

"Ah was jist thinkin' aboot whit ye an' Gobber had said earlier an' decided tae put it intae practice," Merida explained.

"Nice work, Mer," Hiccup stated, reaching down and taking Merida's hand in his before giving it a squeeze.

"Ah dae whit Ah can," Merida replied with a smile.

"Well, before this gets any mushier, I should be heading back home. My mom is probably up waiting for me," Fishlegs stated before running off into the storm, "See you guys tomorrow!"

"See you!" Merida and Hiccup called after him, before turning and smiling at one another.

"We should be getting back too," Hiccup stated.

"Alright," Merida replied before grabbing Hiccup's hand and dragging him out into the rain, laughing as he let out a shout of surprise before laughing too. Together, the two ran up the hill towards their house. Reaching it, Hiccup threw the door open and rushed in, Merida quickly following him as he held the door open for her.

"Ugh, remind me ne'er tae doubt Hilde aboot th' weather again," Merida said as she began to ring out her hair for the second time that night.

"Sure thing," Hiccup replied with a chuckle as he made his way over towards the fireplace, "Here, let me get a fire going so we can dry off."

"Excellent idea," Merida said as she moved over towards him as Hiccup kneeled down in front of the fireplace, coaxing the flames to life. Merida sat on the floor a few feet from the fire and Hiccup scooted backwards to sit next to her.

"So, today was eventful," Hiccup joked as he leaned back on his hands, causing Merida to chuckle at his understatement.

"Ye cud say 'at," Merida agreed with a chuckle as she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs.

Hiccup smiled as he felt himself relax in a way that he only seemed to be able to around Merida. Everything seemed to have been going better for him lately, and every time he thought about it, it all lead back to Merida coming into his life.

"Hiccup?" Merida spoke up, snapping Hiccup back to reality.

"Um, yeah?" Hiccup asked awkwardly.

"Can Ah ask ye aboot somethin'?" Merida questioned nervously.

"Sure, what do you want to know?" Hiccup inquired.

"Ah was wondering, if it's nae pryin' too much 'at is, if ye cud tell me aboot yer mother?" Merida asked, biting her lip as she looked at Hiccup anxiously.

"Oh," Hiccup replied quietly as his face fell a little.

"I mean ye daenae hae tae if ye daenae want tae!" Merida said quickly, holding her hands up to stop him before covering her face with them, "Och, Ah'm sorry. Ah shudnae hae said anythin'."

"No really, it's okay," Hiccup reassured her, smiling at her antics, "It's just, nobody's really asked about her in a long time."

Slowly, Merida lowered her hands and looked at Hiccup, who gave her a small smile.

"So, what would you like to know?" Hiccup asked.

"What was she like?" Merida asked hesitantly.

"Her name was Valhallarama, if you can believe that. She was a big woman, as you may have guessed, a real Viking woman as my dad used to say," Hiccup explained before smirking, "And before you ask, no I don't understand how two big people like that could make someone like me."

Merida chuckled at the joke before urging him to continue.

"I take after my dad more than her," Hiccup explained, "She looked a lot more like Snotlout and his dad, with black hair and the like. But at the same time she was so different from them. Gobber was right, she had a way about her that made people get along. She was the only person who could calm my dad when he got angry. I mean, don't get me wrong, she could be tough when she needed to be, but most of the time, she was always so…kind."

Hiccup smiled warmly as he looked at Merida.

"I think she would have really liked you, Mer," Hiccup stated, looking her right in the eyes.

"Ye really think sae?" Merida asked hopefully.

"I do," Hiccup replied, smiling warmly at her.

Merida smiled back as she brushed slightly. Her face fell though as a though occurred to her.

"How did she…" Merida trailed off, unable to finish her question.

"Die?" Hiccup finished, his face becoming neutral as he turned his attention towards the fire, "Dragon attack. At least that was the original story."

"Whit dae ye mean?" Merida asked, slightly weary.

"She died during a dragon attack," Hiccup explained, his voice quiet, "She was helping rescue some children from a building on the cliffs that had been lit on fire by a Monstrous Nightmare. There were men fighting the dragon outside. They said that the dragon swept its tail and took out a wall of the building, which sent the whole thing plunging over the cliff. My mother went over the side with the children. They found her body on the rocks down below with one of the children. They were lucky they got to them before the ocean washed them out to sea. They assumed that they had been knocked over along with the dragon."

"'At's horrible, Hiccup," Merida sympathized, gently reaching out and placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, it would be," Hiccup said evenly, though his eyes narrowed, "Except that's not how it happened."

"Whit are ye getting' at, Hiccup?" Merida questioned, confusion on her face.

"The dragon didn't knock her over the cliff," Hiccup explained, his eyes still trained on the fire, "Somebody pushed her off with the child."

"…Whit?" Merida whispered, shocked.

"He used the dragon attack as a cover and opportunity to kill her," Hiccup explained, his hands clenching into fists, "She had gotten the children out of the building, was about to urge them to safety when the Nightmare destroyed the building and startled her. That's when he struck, pushing her over the cliff with the children."

"H-How dae ye know this?" Merida questioned, visibly upset by the story.

"Because the fall didn't kill both children," Hiccup explained, his brow furrowing "The one who survived, a little girl, had her fall broken by my mother. The fall shattered her legs but she was able to crawl into a cave in the cliff wall. She stayed there until one of the men, Bucket actually, stumbled upon her there a few days later. She explained the whole thing, but by then the village had already found out."

"How?" Merida asked.

"Because he tried to kill my dad," Hiccup explained, "Turns out he wanted to become the chief of the village and was going to kill me and my family to do it. Unfortunately for him, the village was loyal to my dad and he failed. He got away from the village before they could take him to justice."

"Sae, th' man who killed yer mother is still out there?" Merida asked, horrorstruck.

"Yeah, he is," Hiccup stated, glaring at the fire as it danced in the fireplace, "And one day, I'm going to find him. That's part of the reason I wanted to be trained so bad, wanted to be included. So the villagers would help me find him and teach me what to do when I did. It's weird, even with everything that's happened, that hasn't changed. Even though I couldn't bring myself to kill the Night Fury, I still want to see that man dead."

"He killed yer mother, Hiccup," Merida said, looking at him in concern, "It's anly natural ye want tae see him pay fer it."

"I guess," Hiccup sighed, finally turning from the fire and looking at Merida, the anger flowing out of his eyes, leaving only sadness in its wake, "He was their friend, you know. Went to dragon training with them. My parents. My uncle. Gobber. He knew them all. They said he was friendly. Unassuming. From a poor family. They said all he really wanted to do was make a name for himself. I guess he got his wish."

Merida leaned over and rested her head on Hiccup's shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug, Hiccup leaning into her as they turned and watched the fire together.

"There's no one in the Norselands who doesn't know the name Alvin the Treacherous."

A/N: So this ended up being longer and more involved then I originally intended. Lots of plot details and backstory provided, hope you guys liked it! Also, any suggestions to what the name for Merida's bow should be are welcome. As always critiques and feedback are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	17. Walls Come Down

**Chapter 17: Walls Come Down**

It was another overcast morning that greeted the teens as they gathered at the arena. Inside, they discovered that Gobber had somehow found the time since they had last been there to set up some sort of maze within the confines of the arena, made up of wooden plank walls held together by metal fittings.

"The Hel is this?" Snotlout asked, before the portcullis slammed shut behind them, sealing off the only exit.

"Good mornin' everyane!" Gobber called from above them. Looking up, the teens found Gobber in the seating area, leaning over the wall that surrounded the edge and waving down to them.

"Gobber, whit's gaein' on!?" Merida asked as they all turned their attention to their teacher.

"Excellent question!" Gobber exclaimed, "Taeday is all aboot attack! Speakin' o' attack, did Ah mention Ah already let th' Deadly Nadder oot?"

"What!?" they all exclaimed at once before they heard the distinct roar of the Nadder as it leapt up onto one of the walls, roaring again as it spotted them.

"Everyone into the maze!" Astrid exclaimed, causing them all to rush towards the entrance. Near the entrance, they noticed a stack of shields had been set up. They each quickly grabbed one before entering the maze just as the Nadder reached them.

"Scatter!" Astrid shouted, causing each of the teens to run in a different direction into the maze, forcing the Nadder to choose one of them to chase after. Unfortunately for Merida, it chose her.

"Nadders are quick an' light on their feet," Gobber explained as Merida ran around a corner, the Nadder hopping up onto the wooden walls and skipping across the top of them in an effort to track her, "Yer job is tae be quicker an' lighter."

As Merida turned another corner, the Nadder suddenly hopped down in front of her, screeching at the princess. Merida slid to a stop in front of the dragon, her shield at the ready. The Nadder lowered its head as it glared at Merida. As it did, it opened its mouth and began clicking its tongue at her. Merida raised a confused eyebrow at the Nadder, slowly backing away as the dragon stalked towards her. As the Nadder continued to click its tongue at her, Merida noticed something odd about the roof of the dragon's mouth. There was a small mark, something that looked like a scar, one made by a small piercing weapon, such as a knife…or an arrow.

"Oh bloody Hel," Merida swore, her eyes widening as she realized this wasn't the first time she had seen this Nadder, "It's ye."

Hissing as it seemed to realize Merida recognized it, the Nadder snapped its tail at her, sending half a dozen of its spines flying towards her. Seeing them coming, Merida quickly lifted up her shield, half of the spines thudding against the hard wood as the others sailed by her.

"Hah!" Merida laughed mockingly at the Nadder, "Ah was ready fer ye 'at time!"

Hissing at her, the Nadder opened her mouth, which began to glow red as it prepared to shoot a fireball at her.

"Oh," Merida whispered to herself, her eyes going wide, "Right."

Merida dove to the side as the ball of fire shot through the air, the heat rippling the air as it flew by and slammed into one of the maze walls, cracking and charring it. Merida quickly pushed herself to her feet as the Nadder charged at her, its jaws open wide.

"Oh, sod this!" Merida swore before grabbing the shield like a discus and threw it at the Nadder, hitting the dragon right on its nose. The Nadder howled in pain as it stumbled to the side, slamming into the wall and sliding against it as it fell to the ground, its spines gouging the wood as it went. Merda quickly jumped to the side before running around the Nadder, racing around a corner as the dragon recovered. Hissing, the Nadder hopped back up onto the walls and resumed hunting the teenagers.

Running around another corner, Merida almost ran full speed into Ruff and Tuff.

"Whoa!" Ruff exclaimed, grabbing onto Merida's shoulders and stopping her before she knocked the blonde over, "Easy there!"

"Where's the Nadder?" Tuff asked, looking around wearily.

"Hot on ma tail, probably," Merida said, glancing over her shoulder as she unslung her bow from her shoulders, "It's got it oot fer me."

"Why would a dragon have it out for you?" Ruff asked as Tuff walked up towards the corner and peeked around it.

"Because durin' a dragon attack a while back, Ah shot it in th' mouth," Merida explained as she notched an arrow on the bowstring.

"You shot it in the mouth?" Ruff asked, clearly impressed, "Damn, you get more badass every time I talk to you."

As they talked, Fishlegs suddenly came running around another corner, the Nadder right on his heels. As he ran, the Nadder fired another bunch of spines, which he spun around to deflect with his shield, almost tripping over his feet as he did.

"Gobber!" Fishlegs called as he ran towards the others, "I'm really beginning to question your teaching methods!"

"Look fer its blindspot!" Gobber instructed as Fishlegs ducked around the corner Tuffnut had been looking around, leaving Merida and the twins directly in the dragon's path, "Every dragon has ane. Find it, hide in it, an' strike!"

Merida and the twins quickly lined up directly in front of the Nadder's nose as closely as they could, Tuffnut in front and Merida in back, all three hiding in the blindspot in the dragon's vision. As the dragon snorted at the air in confusion, it blew a blast of air in their faces, causing the girls to gag.

"Do you ever bathe?" Ruffnut choked as the three tried to stay in the Nadder's blindspot, following the dragon as it bobbed its head about, sniffing the air.

"Ye smell like month-old cabbage," Merida gripped.

"Look, if you two don't like it then you can get your own blindspots," Tuff groused before shoving back against his sister, pushing her into Merida.

"How about I give you a blindspot!" Ruff shouted as she grabbed Tuff and spun him around as she pulled her arm back to punch him. As she did, the Nadder hissed in anger before opening its mouth to prepare to shoot a blast of fire.

"Doon!" Merida shouted before tackling the twins to the ground as the blast of fire shot over them.

"Move!" Merida shouted, hopping to her feet and doing her best to drag the twins with her, dropping the arrow she had notched in her bow as she did. As the teens got back to their feet, the Nadder roared at them and snapped at them with its teeth. Merida dodged out of the way as the twins stumbled to the side.

"Run!" Tuff yelled as he, Ruff and Merida turned and ran around the corner, the Nadder screeching at them as it gave chase.

"As ye can see, blindspot, yes. Deafspot? Nae sae much," Gobber said with a laugh as he watched the teens flee from the Nadder. Stopping at a point where he could see Gobber, Hiccup looked up at his teacher.

"Yeah, so uh, how would one sneak up on a Night Fury?" Hiccup questioned.

"Nae ane's ever met ane an' lived tae tell th' tale," Gobber replied, sighing in exasperation, "Now get in there!"

"I know, I know, but hypothetically…" Hiccup said as he began to walk away from Gobber.

"Hiccup!" he heard Astrid harshly whisper at him. Turning, he saw Astrid and Snotlout crouched by a corner, looking back at him.

"Get down!" Astrid whispered, motioning for Hiccup to crouch down and move over to them. Hiccup nodded in reply, crouching down and moving over to the other two, drawing Endeavor as he went. As he lined up behind Snotlout, he saw Fishlegs, Merida and the twins come around a corner towards them. Astrid signaled for them to stop, causing the other teens to slow to a stop and crouched at the corner across from them with Merida in front. Leaning forward, they saw the Nadder walked around the corner, quickly ducking back behind their corners as the dragon sniffed the air and scanned the area.

"Whit dae we dae?" Merida mouthed, looking Astrid dead in the eye. The question seemed to surprise Astrid, catching her off guard. Just the day before she had told Merida that she was in this to prove herself to the village. That she didn't care about helping the others. But yet here Merida was, asking her what they should do. She was ready to shrug off the question and figure things out on her own when she thought back to the day before some more. She thought of what Hiccup said about working together. About what Gobber had told them about teamwork. How Merida, of all people, had taken the lead on congratulating the others. Maybe Merida and the others were on to something. After all, charging in against the Nadder like this by herself was a stupid move, especially, when they had numbers and the element of surprise on their side. It'd be dumb not to take advantage of it, regardless of her feelings on the matter.

"We need to lure it into a trap," Astrid whispered, "If we can get it around the corner, we can all jump it before it knows what's happening."

"Ah can lure it," Merida said.

Astrid merely raised an eyebrow in reply.

"Trust me," Merida whispered.

Astrid sighed before nodding, looking away from Merida and putting her axe down, she caught the attention of Fishlegs and the twins. Motioning to herself, Snotlout and Hiccup, she pointed to the Nadder before she pantomimed someone walking and tripping. Then, pointing at them, she balled her hand into a fist before slamming it against her palm. She raised an eyebrow at the others, earning nods in reply. Turning her attention back to Merida, Astrid nodded towards her, to which Merida nodded back. Hopping to her feet, Merida ran around the corner, waving her arms and jumping up and down.

"Oi!" she shouted at the Nadder, which whipped its head around to look at her, "Over here! Come an' get me ye overgrown salamander!"

Spinning around, she shook her behind mockingly at the Nadder, before turning around again and sticking her tongue out at the dragon. The Nadder shrieked in anger before charging at Merida, its wings spread and its jaws open wide.

Merida spun on her heel and rushed back around the corner that she had been hiding behind, the Nadder chasing after her.

"Now!" Astrid exclaimed, as she, Snotlout, and Hiccup jumped into action. Snotlout swung his mace at one of the Nadder's legs, hitting it on the knee. At the same time, Astrid swung her axe, hitting the Nadder on the shin with the broadside of the axehead. As the Nadder cried out in pain and surprise, Hiccup threw himself at the base of the dragon's tail, slamming his shield against the beast, sending it tumbling forward onto its front.

"Get it!" Tuff shouted as he, his sister and Merida jumped onto the front of the dragon, trying to pin down its head and its wings while Snotlout, Astrid and Hiccup jumped on its lower body, Snotlout and Astrid grabbing onto its legs and Hiccup grabbing the tail.

"Hit it, Fishlegs!" Merida exclaimed, looking at Fishlegs, who tossed aside its shield and grabbed his hammer with both hands before rushing at the dragon with it raised. Seeing him coming, the Nadder began to thrash around, trying its best to throw the teenagers off. As it did, it lifted its tail up, Hiccup's weight proving insufficient to hold it down. Hiccup grasped the tail as the Nadder lifted up, taking care not to impale himself on one of the many spines sticking out.

Thrashing its tail to the side, the Nadder flung Hiccup off, causing the young man to go flying through the air before slamming into one of the wooden walls, causing it to shake and almost fall over as Hiccup slid back to the ground. Groaning in pain, Hiccup raised his head in time to see the Nadder lash its tail at Fishlegs, forcing the young man to roll out of the way as the deadly spines flew through the air towards him, imbedding in a wall further down the hallway.

As Fishlegs and Hiccup recovered, the Nadder began thrashing around, throwing off the teens as it stood up and roared. Rearing back, the dragon shot a ball of fire towards where Merida and Fishlegs were standing. Their eyes widened in surprise before diving out of the way as the fireball shot past and slammed into a wooden wall with enough force to knock it over, sending the structure falling to the ground in a cloud of dust and smoke.

"Now what!?" Snotlout exclaimed.

Looking at the collapsed wall, a thoughtful look crossed Hiccup's face before his eyes narrowed determinedly.

"New plan!" Hiccup exclaimed, pushing himself all the way back to his feet, "Fishlegs, Snotlout, Tuffnut! You guys are with me!"

"Hold up!" Snotlout said angrily, "I don't remember agreeing to follow you anywhere, Useless!"

"Hey, can you stow the ego for five minutes!?" Fishlegs shouted at the other boy as the Nadder swung its tail at Ruffnut, forcing the girl to roll out of the way, "I don't hear you coming up with any bright ideas!"

Snotlout grumbled angrily but said nothing else.

"Whit aboot us?" Merida questioned as she ducked out of the way as the Nadder tried to bite her head off.

"You, Astrid and Ruffnut need to lead it away!" Hiccup explained, before pointing in the direction away from them, "Just keep leading it until you hear me tell you differently!"

"That's your master plan!?" Astrid shouted angrily as the Nadder screeched angrily, "Run away!?"

"It's not so much a master plan as a "make-it-up-as-I-go-along" one!" Hiccup yelled back, "Now go!"

With that, Hiccup turned and began to run away from the action, Fishlegs following him. Snotlout and Tuffnut glanced at each other before Tuffnut shrugged and began to follow. Seeing his best friend go, Snotlout groaned in annoyance before following as well. Seeing them go, the Nadder roared and began to follow them, but stopped when an arrow flew from over its shoulder and glanced off of its cheek. Snarling, the Nadder spun around, finding Merida standing behind it with her bow pointed at the dragon, a cheeky grin on her face.

"Well, you got its attention," Ruff muttered, glancing between Merida and the Nadder as it slowly turned to face them, growling lowly, "Now what?"

"Now, we dae as Hiccup said," Merida replied hopping on her toes as she began to back away while the Nadder lowered its body and began to creep closer, "We run!"

With that, Merida spun around and took off running away from the Nadder, the action urging Astrid and Ruffnut to follow her as the dragon screeched and began to give chase.

As the girls lead the Nadder in one direction, Hiccup and the other guys began to circle around through the maze back towards them.

"So, what exactly are we doing?" Tuff questioned as he and the others raced behind Hiccup.

"I noticed that Gobber didn't set the walls up as best he could," Hiccup explained, struggling to keep his breath as he ran, "The foundations are wobbly."

"So?" Snotlout asked as they turned a corner, Fishlegs almost tripping and falling on his face.

"So, if we throw enough weight at one of them, it will fall over," Hiccup elaborated, "Probably pinning anything under it."

"Like the Nadder," Fishlegs surmised with a grin.

"Exactly," Hiccup replied with a nod, "The girls lead the dragon into position, we knock the wall onto it, the Nadder gets trapped, Gobber puts it back in its pen and we go home with all our limbs still attached."

"I've heard worse plans," Tuff commented as they turned another corner. As they did, they heard the screeching of the Nadder somewhere nearby followed by the flash of fire from behind one of the walls.

"Merida!" Hiccup shouted, coming to a stop with the other behind him.

"Hiccup!" he heard Merida call over the wall directly in front of them.

"Mer! Lead the Nadder in front of this wall!" Hiccup called as he ran up to the wall and began knocking on it.

"Alright!" Merida shouted, as she and the other girls lead the Nadder into position. As soon as the Nadder was in front of the wall, Astrid and Ruffnut tumbled around it, the three girls forming a triangle around the dragon. Astrid and Ruffnut quickly began banging on their shields, the sound causing the Nadder to shake its head as it tried to fight off the daze the sound caused it.

"Whatever you guys are going to do, you better do it soon!" Astrid exclaimed as the dragon began to turn towards her, growling angrily. Nodding to himself, Hiccup backed away from the wall, motioning for the other boys to line up with him.

As the boys prepared themselves, the Nadder lashed out at Astrid with its tail. Astrid managed to duck below the attack, but was unprepared as the Nadder flicked its tail back towards her, sending a salvo of spines flying at her. Two of the spines hit Astrid's shield which caught her off guard and knocked her defense to the side, which left her open as a third spine sliced her arm. Astrid cried out in pain as she grasped the wound as blood began to seep down her arm, dropping her weapon and shield in the process.

"Astird!" Ruffnut exclaimed in fear, trying to run over to her friend, but was knocked to the side as the Nadder swept its tail at her, striking her in the stomach and lifting her off her feet before sending her rolling across the ground. Turning its attention back to Astrid, the Nadder lifted its leg up and pinned the girl to the ground as she tried to roll away, knocking the air out of the blonde's lungs. Leaning down, the Nadder roared right in Astrid's face, causing the girl to let out a primal cry of terror as she scrunched her eyes in fear.

"Oi!" Merida shouted, before an arrow dug in between the Nadder's scales just above the dragon's shoulder. Screeching in pain and anger, the Nadder turned to glare at Merida, who had already notched another arrow and pulled it back to her cheek, the princess's icy blue eyes locking with the dragon's bright yellow ones.

"Ferget aboot me?" Merida questioned, raising an eyebrow as the dragon snarled, stepping off Astrid and moving towards the princess, spreading its wings threateningly as it let out a full-bodied roar.

"Hiccup!" Merida shouted, taking a hesitant step away from the Nadder.

"Now!" Hiccup exclaimed before he and the other boys ran at the wall. Leaping forward, the four boys slammed their shoulders against the hard wood, throwing all their weight behind the maneuver. As they hit, there was a loud snap before the wall began to fall down, the boys falling with it. The wall slammed down on top of the Nadder, cutting it off mid scream as it smashed against the ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust.

Coughing, Merida waved the dust away from her face before observing the scene before her. A large section of the wall lay on the ground before her, pinning the Nadder to the ground, its head the only thing sticking out from underneath it. Looking past the dragon, she could see the four boys slowly pushing themselves up, each letting out groans of pain as they did. Past them, Merida could see Ruffnut pulling herself to her wobbly feet as she held her head with one of her hands. Hearing the distinctive noise of wood clacking against stone, Merida saw Gobber coming down the passageway towards them as fast as he could.

A sharp cry of pain quickly caught Merida's attention. Turning, she saw Astrid lying on the ground, her lower body pinned beneath the heavy wood. She let out another painful shout as she tried in vain to lift the section of wall off of herself.

"Get off!" Merida shouted, turning her attention to the boys and making a shooing motion at them. Hiccup looked at her in confusion, before Merida motioned towards Astrid. Looking at Astrid, Hiccup's eyes went wide as he scrambled to his feet.

"Oh gods!" he exclaimed as he tried to drag the others to their feet, "Get off the wall! Get off it now!"

It took a moment for the other three boys to realize what Hiccup was talking about before they saw Astrid pinned, but by that time Hiccup had already moved over towards her along with Ruffnut.

"Astrid, are you okay!?" Hiccup asked, grabbing the sides of his head in a panic, looking over at Gobber who was struggling to get over to their side.

"Does it look like I'm okay!?" Astrid screamed at him, "Get it off!"

"I'll get you out, Astrid!" Snotlout announced, before grabbing the edge of the wall and attempting to lift it off of her, his face turning red as his muscles strained under the weight, moving the wall slightly, but not enough to free Astrid. After a second, he let out a large exhale as he released the wall, stumbling away from it as Astrid let out another cry of pain.

"I can't do it!" Snotlout exclaimed in despair, "It's too heavy!"

"Move!" Fishlegs shouted, shoving Snotlout to the side as he took his place, "Let me try."

Taking a deep breath, Fishlegs grabbed the edge of the wall before he began to lift it. Fishlegs' muscles pulled at one another as his veins throbbed beneath his skin, the wall lifting inch by inch off of Astrid's legs. Letting out a cry of exertion, Fishlegs managed to lift the wall just enough to free Astrid.

"Pull her oot!" Gobber shouted as he reached them, gesturing wildly at Astird, "Pull her oot!"

Not needing to be told twice, Hiccup and Ruffnut reached down, each grabbing one of Astrid's arms before dragging her out from underneath the wall. As soon as Astrid was clear, Fishlegs let go off the wall, which hit the ground heavily, causing the Nadder to moan in pain again. As Hiccup and Ruffnut let go of her, Astrid let out a hiss of pain before grabbing her right leg, gritting her teeth as she pulled it against her.

"Astrid, are you okay?" Ruffnut asked with a worried tone, kneeling down next to her friend.

"My leg!" Astrid exclaimed, not even opening her eyes to look at Ruffnut, "It hurts!"

"Ye're gaein' tae be okay, Astrid," Gobber said, leaning down before scooping the girl up into arms, causing her to let out a small whimper of pain, "Ah'll get ye tae Gothi, she'll know whit tae dae. As fer th' rest o' ye, class dismissed."

As Gobber began to walk away, Hiccup watched him go with a worried expression. At least until he felt someone grab his shoulder and spin him around, coming face to face with Snotlout's angry glare.

"This is all your fault!" Snotlout exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger right in Hiccup's face, "I knew we shouldn't have listened to your stupid plan!"

"I had no idea that something like this was going to happen!" Hiccup yelled back, holding his hands up in front of himself as he took a step away from his cousin.

"You should know by now that your stupid ideas always mess up in the end," Snotlout growled, taking another step closer to Hiccup. He tried to move closer still, but was stopped when some put their hand on his chest and pushed him back. Turning to the side, he saw Ruffnut standing there with her arm extended, her eyes narrowed dangerously at him.

"It wasn't his fault, Snotlout, and you know it," Ruffnut said evenly, before motioning towards the pinned Nadder, "Also, did you forget about the part where his plan helped us actually take down a dragon?"

Snotlout snarled at Ruffnut and moved to say something, but stopped when he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he found Tuffnut standing next to him.

"Ease up, man," Tuffnut said, "It was an accident. There was no way any of us could have known this would happen. I mean, you went along with the plan, just like she did. It's nobody's fault."

Snotlout just looked at his best friend like he had grown a second head for a few moments before shaking his head angrily and pulling his shoulder from Tuffnut's grasp.

"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Snotlout growled angrily before he began to walk away, "Whatever. I'm out of here."

The five teenagers watched Snotlout as he went, before turning to each other as he turned out of sight.

"Thanks for that," Hiccup said to the twins, looking at them with trepidation.

"Don't worry about it," Tuffnut replied with a shrug, "What you said the other day about working together turned out to be true. Just harder for some of us to accept, I guess."

Hiccup blinked in surprise, his eyebrows rising at the maturity of the normally brash boy's words.

"What?" Tuff asked, raising an eyebrow of his own, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Well, I was just thinking this is most you and I have ever talked one on one," Hiccup explained, "Like ever."

Tuffnut merely shrugged in reply.

"So far it seems like dragon training has been all about weird things," Tuffnut stated, "What's one more addition to the pile?"

"Have to say, that was a pretty sweet idea," Ruffnut commented with a chuckle, "Good thing Gobber set up these walls, or we would have been sunk."

"We probably would have figured something out," Fishlegs stated with a shrug, "We seemed to pick up the whole teamwork thing pretty quickly."

"You got that right, big guy," Ruffnut replied, walking over and patting Fishlegs on his bicep, causing the boy to blush, "How much can you lift anyway? That was pretty impressive, what you did with the wall."

"Uh, thanks," Fishlegs replied awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck, "And I don't know, I haven't really looked into that."

"You might want to," Ruffnut commented, letting her fingers trail down Fishlegs arm as she let hers fall to the side, "Girls are always impressed by stuff like that."

Fishlegs coughed nervously into his hand as his face turned beat red as Ruffnut grinned, Tuffnut rolled his eyes and Merida and Hiccup shared a quick glance, raising their eyebrows at one another.

"Anyway, we should probably get going too," Tuffnut spoke up as turned to leaving, grabbing his sister's arm and dragging her along behind him, "See you guys later."

"Yeah. By the way, sick shots with that bow, Red," Ruffnut said, pulling her arm out of her brother's grasp and pointing a finger at Merida as the two of them left "Look forward to working with you again in the future."

"Um, thanks," Merida replied awkwardly, "I think?"

As they left, Merida turned to look at Fishlegs and Hiccup.

"Is she always like 'at?" Merida questioned, pointing in the direction the twins had gone.

"More or less," Fishlegs replied.

"Whit are we gaein' tae dae aboot th' Nadder?" Merida questioned, gesturing towards the dragon that still lay under the section of collapsed wall.

"I guess we'll have to leave it here until Gobber comes back to put it in its pen," Fishlegs said with a shrug.

"You think it will be okay?" Hiccup asked, a note of concern in his voice.

"Looks fine for now," Fishlegs commented, before motion towards the way the others had gone, "We should probably be heading out too."

"Yeah," Hiccup replied with a nod, before he and Fishlegs began to head in the indicated direction. Glancing back, he saw Merida looking down at where the Nadder was laying.

"You coming, Mer?" Hiccup asked.

"Aye," Merida replied, shaking her head as if she was coming out of a daze, "Ah'm right behind ye."

Hiccup nodded in reply before turning and walking along with Fishlegs. Merida began moving to follow before pausing to glance back down at the Nadder, which was watching her with one of its yellow eyes.

"Well, guess Ah'll be seein' ye," Merida commented good naturedly, smirking at the Nadder before turning and walking away. As she walked, she heard a distinctive clicking noise from behind her. Glancing back, she saw that the Nadder had lifted its head up as best it could to look at her, clicking its tongue at her. For a moment, Merida merely stood there, looking at the dragon as it clicked its tongue at her for a third time. As it did, almost on instinct, Merida clicked her tongue back at the Nadder before quickly turning on her heel and walking away, knowing that the dragon was watching her every step of the way.

_Later_,

Astrid sighed as she lay on a bed within Gothi's simple hut which sat next to the much more impressive temple near the center of the village. It was a good enough size room, built to hold multiple people for when Gothi needed to practice her sometimes occupation as the village healer. Scattered around the room where various collections of herbs and flowers from around the island, as well as some jars containing things that Astrid felt she was better off not knowing about. Various fetishes were hung around the room and Astrid noticed a holy symbol carved into the section of the roof above her head.

Groaning due to the throbbing in her foot, Astrid glanced down at it. Her right foot sat elevated at the end of the bed, her right boot sitting at attention on the floor under it. Gothi had said that Astrid had hurt her ankle and the muscles in her leg when the wall had fallen on her. No permanent damage, luckily. Astrid would just have to give it time to heal. In the meantime, Gothi had wrapped Astrid's leg in a bandage soaked with a potion that Gothi said would ease the pain and bring down the swelling.

As Astrid observed her leg, she let out an annoyed grumbled before scratching at the bandage around her arm. For the cut she had received from the Nadder's spine, Gothi had applied a stinking pink paste to the wound, before wrapping it in a bandage as well. Much to Astrid's annoyance, she quickly discovered that, when dry, the paste itched like nothing she had ever experience. She quickly figured out that the bandage was probably more to keep Astrid from scratching the paste off then to protect her from any sort of infection.

As Astrid lay miserably on the bed, Gothi hobbled in, carry a Y-shaped stick that seemed sized for someone of Astrid's size.

"Here you go, child," Gothi said happily, holding the stick out for Astrid to take as the girl sat up in bed, "This will help you move around when you have to, but remember, not too much. The best way to insure your leg heals quickly is to stay off of it."

"Yes, Gothi," Astrid sighed as she took the crutch from the elder.

"And make sure you apply this to your cut every night until it is healed," Gothi instructed, handing Astrid a small jar of the pink paste, the girl having to fight to keep from scrunching her nose up in disgust.

"Yes Gothi," Astrid grumbled as she stood up and put the crutch under her armpit, leaning on it instead of her injured leg.

"Is something troubling you, child?" Gothi asked, raising a questioning eyebrow up at Astrid.

"No, nothing, it's just…" Astrid said before trailing off, avoiding eye contact with Gothi.

"Come now, child, you can talk to me," Gothi urged, smiling warmly at Astrid, who looked down at the older woman and sighed.

"It's just…I feel like I'm not proving myself like I should be," Astrid explained, "We've only had two sessions, and already I'm injured, when the others are fine. I'm supposed to be the best, but I keep getting shown up by Fishlegs and Hiccup and that little Highlander…."

Astrid trailed off, opting to instead let out an angry grunt as she gripped the crutch so tightly her knuckles turned white. Gothi watched the display with a small smile on her face.

"Are you having problems with Princess Merida?" Gothi questioned.

"Of course I'm having problems with her!" Astrid shouted, "You know what happened to my father! Her people, the people her family rules, killed him!"

"Killed him in war, child," Gothi stated, "Your father went into battle knowing full well he could die."

"That doesn't matter!" Astrid snapped, feeling her anger rising, "Her people killed my father!"

"She is not her people," Gothi argued.

"He died fighting them!" Astrid spat, "That's all that matters!"

"Your father died with honor," Gothi said, urging Astrid to listen to reason.

"I don't care about his honor!" Astrid shouted, her eyes watery from barely suppressed tears, "I just care about him! I just want my father! But I can never have him back. Because they took him from me."

"Child. Sweet child," Gothi cooed, touching Astrid's arm and urging her to sit back down on the bed, "Dying is just part of life. All mortal lives must come to an end. Your father lived a good life and I have no doubt the gods justly rewarded him for it. He would want you to remember him. He would want you to mourn him. But this…child, no parent would want this."

"What…what do you mean?" Astrid asked, wiping at the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

"This anger that you've kept locked up in you all these years, it's not good, child. It's not good at all," Gothi explained, before reaching up and gently touching the bandage on Astrid's arm, "This anger is like a wound, and by keeping it fresh within your heart, you've allowed it to fester. I promise you, child, if you do not find a way to let go of your anger, to release that which has plagued you for so long, one way or another, it shall be the death of you."

Astrid fell silent as she looked into Gothi's imploring eyes, feeling the weight of the elder's words sink into her somewhere within the core of her being.

"The princess might be your best bet to release some of this anger," Gothi continued, "Has she, as herself, done anything to you that you cannot forgive?"

"She…she hasn't done anything to me at all," Astrid said, her voice barely above a whisper, "She's saved my life twice now."

The two fell into silence, Gothi allowing Astrid to collect herself as she knew the young girl had more to say.

"But I have done things to her," Astrid continued after a moment, "Awful things."

"That," Gothi said, smiling warmly at Astrid, "is what forgiveness is for."

"What if I can't ask for it?" Astrid questioned, clearly conflicted, "And what if she won't give it?"

"All good things come with time, child" Gothi said reassuringly as she placed her hand on Astrid's, "All good things come with time."

A/N: Well, I have to say that this was a fun chapter to write! Originally, it was not going to all be focused on this one scene, but it just kind of grew in my head and got away from me. I hope you guys don't mind, because I think it really came out good! Also, over four hundred reviews on this story now! This is unbelievable! You guys are awesome, thanks for making this story so great to write! Criticism and feedback is always welcome, so please review! Later!


	18. A Dance with a Dragon

**Chapter 18: A Dance with a Dragon**

The late afternoon sun hung over the small cove, the high rock walls casting long shadows across the pond at its center. The entire valley was still and quiet, seemingly empty from where the three teenagers stood, looking out at it from the crevice in the rocks they had made their way down to. Fishlegs stood in front, his girth and the shield he was carrying almost blocking the entirety of Hiccup and Merida's view as they huddled behind him.

"Do you see it, Fishlegs?" Hiccup asked, peeking over the taller boy's shoulder, a raw fish tucked under his arm.

"N-No," Fishlegs replied before gulping nervously.

"Well, we cannae stand here all afternoon," Merida stated before giving Fishlegs a small shove to urge him forward. Fishlegs gulped again before he slowly began inching towards the valley entrance. As he did, the crevice narrowed and the edges of his shield became jammed in the rocks, refusing to budge another inch forward. Fishlegs blinked in surprise and tried to pull the shield back, but found that the shield was stuck in the rocks. Slowly, he turned around and looked sheepishly at his friends.

"Really?" Hiccup asked, raising an eyebrow at Fishlegs.

"Oh, don't give me that," Fishlegs shot back, "You would have done the same thing."

Merida merely sighed and rolled her eyes before ducking past Fishlegs and stooping under his shield, entering the cove. Fishlegs and Hiccup looked at her for a few moments before she placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow at them. Smirking, Hiccup quickly ducked under the shield and stepped over next to Merida. The two looked at Fishlegs expectantly, watching as the large boy tried to duck under the shield as well, only to find that he couldn't fit. Sighing as he stood back up, Fishlegs grabbed the top of the shield and attempted to climb over it instead. As Fishlegs lifted his feet off the ground and put all of his weight on the shield, there came a cracking noise, causing him to freeze before the shield suddenly broke loose from the wall, sending Fishlegs falling flat on his face.

"Are you alright?" Hiccup whispered as he and Merida rushed over to Fishlegs' side.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Fishlegs replied, waving the two off as he stood up and brushed himself off before stooping down and picking up his shield, "We have bigger things to worry about, remember?"

Hiccup and Merida both nodded solemnly, before turning their attention to the cove around them. Slowly, the trio made their way out into the open, sticking close together and rapidly scanning the surrounding area. Suddenly, Merida perked up as if she heard something and spun around, gasping as she did. The other two quickly followed suit, their eyes widening in surprise and fear as they saw the Night Fury perched on a large rock, watching them like a predator ready to pounce on them.

Slowly, the Night Fury crawled down from its perch, its black-on-green eyes never looking away from the teens. As it reached the ground, the Night Fury sniffed at the air before growling at the trio. Sensing what the Night Fury wanted, Hiccup cautiously took a step forward as he held the fish out in front of him. Slowly, the Night Fury began to approach Hiccup, its mouth opening to bite the fish. Before it did, the Night Fury's eyes flashed up to the sword strapped to Hiccup's back, letting out an angry growl as it backed away again, its eyes darting to Merida and Fishlegs as well.

"Our weapons," Hiccup whispered, unstrapping his sword and taking it into his hands, "It doesn't like our weapons."

"Well, Ah daenae exactly like th' idea o' bein' in close proximity o' a Night Fury without ma weapon," Merida whispered back, touching the bow slung around her shoulders but not taking it into her hands.

"I don't think we really have much of a choice," Fishlegs stated wearily, watching the Night Fury glare at him as he took his warhammer slowly out of his belt before tossing it away, Hiccup following suit, their weapons landing with a thud on the ground a few feet away. Merida quickly glanced between the weapons on the ground and the Night Fury, which had turned its attention towards her and snarled, hesitating as she tried to decide what to do.

"Merida," Hiccup pleaded, glancing over at her.

"All right, all right, fine," Merida replied reluctantly, unslinging her bow and quiver, before tossing them to the side with the other weapons. As soon as the Night Fury saw that the weapons were out of reach, its attitude completely changed. It quickly sat back on its legs, its once narrowed eyes opening wide as it tilted its head curiously at them, one of its ears twitching as it watched them. Merida had to fight the urge to coo at the sudden adorableness of the dragon before her.

Hiccup slowly held the fish out again, prompting the Night Fury to approach him a second time. As it leaned forward to take the fish, it opened its gummy mouth which was completely devoid of teeth.

"Huh, toothless," Hiccup mused, a confused expression on his face, "I could have sworn you had-"

Before he could say anything more, a set of pointed teeth extended from the Night Fury's gums as the dragon bit into the fish and pulled it from Hiccup's grasp. The three teens gasped it surprise as the Night Fury lifted its head up and swallowed the fish mostly whole, licking its lips in satisfaction.

"…teeth," Hiccup finished, shock written on his face.

Eyeing the teens curiously, the Night Fury began to approach them, causing them to back away in fear.

"Uh…No, no," Hiccup said nervously as he tripped over his own feet and crawled backwards until his back was against a rock, Merida and Fishlegs fretfully flanking it, Merida's hand held out towards Hiccup as she tried to figure out what to do, "I..uh…don't have anymore."

The Night Fury continued to approach him until its face was mere inches from Hiccup's own. Then, its eyes suddenly rolled back in its head as it made gagging noises with its throat. A second later, the Night Fury spat up the fish it had just eaten into Hiccup's lap, the saliva and digestive fluids seeping into his pants.

"…'At's disgustin'," Merida muttered, a look of revulsion on her face, mirrored by Hiccup and Fishlegs. As the teens looked at its offering in repulsion, the Night Fury sat back on its hind legs, watching Hiccup expectantly. For a few moments, the teens merely stared at the Night Fury in confusion, the dragon looking silently back at them as Hiccup held the half-eaten fish in his hands. Then, when Hiccup failed to do anything, the Night Fury quickly glanced down at the fish in the boy's hands before looking back at him. The small action instantly revealed the Night Fury's intention, causing Hiccup to look down at the fish in surprise before sighing in defeat.

Reluctantly, Hiccup lifted the raw fish, still covered in juices from the dragon's belly, up to his mouth before taking a bite out of it. Hiccup could have sworn he felt his tongue shrivel up and die as his mouth filled with the fish meat, Merida's lip curling in horror and disgust behind him while Fishlegs placed his hand over his hand in an effort to keep from spewing bile. Forcing a smile on his stuffed face, Hiccup held the fish up for the Night Fury to see. The Night Fury quickly glanced down at the fish before swallowing. Hiccup looked incredulously at the Dragon before sighing through his nose. Leaning his head back, he swallowed, fighting the urge to throw it back up. Finally forcing the fish meat down his throat, Hiccup shuddered in disgust.

Looking up, he saw the Night Fury lick its lips, leading Hiccup to smile awkwardly at the dragon. Seeing the smile, the Night Fury narrowed in confusion, before it tried to mimic the expression. As the three watched, the dragon slowly pulled its entire mouth into the facsimile of a smile, its retracted teeth completely showing its red gums.

Slowly standing up, Hiccup reached out with his hand, attempting to touch the Night Fury. The dragon looked at Hiccup in confusion before it snarled, baring its teeth at the young man and spinning away, leaping into the air and clumsily gliding to the other side of the cove.

After the Night Fury half landed, half crashed to the ground, the dragon wandered a short distance before scorching the ground with a small stream of fire. As the grass burnt and the ground smoldered, the Night Fury curled up into a ball and lay down.

"Now what?" Fishlegs questioned, looking at where the Night Fury lay along with the others.

"Come on," Hiccup said, signaling the others to follow him as they made their way around the lake. Cautiously, the three teens approached the dragon, which was preoccupied watching a bird flit through the air. Slowly, Hiccup sat on the ground a few feet away from the Night Fury, Merida and Fishlegs following suit. After a moment, the Night Fury lifted its head up and turned to look at the teens. Hiccup smiled and waved at the Night Fury, which grunted before turning away again, laying its head on the ground and wrapping its tail around its body, hiding its face from view.

Seeing his chance, Hiccup scooted over towards the Night Fury and reached out to touch its tail. Just as he was about to touch one of the dragon's scales, the Night Fury suddenly snapped its tail away and glared at Hiccup, causing the young man to hop back, knocking into Merida and Fishlegs. The Night Fury rolled its eyes before it got up and wandered away.

As the teens recollected themselves, the dragon wandered over to a large, exposed root and wrapped its tail around it, hanging from it like a bat and wrapping itself with its wings. The Night Fury closed its eyes, apparently trying to drift off to sleep. As the same time, the three teens sat upon the lake shore, alternating between watching the Night Fury and chatting amongst themselves.

"Ye sure this is a good idea, Hic?" Merida asked, sharing a seat on a rock with Hiccup as Fishlegs sat on the ground a few feet away.

"Well, it seemed to like this fish. Even wanted to share it with me," Hiccup replied, shivering at the memory as he began to sketch a picture of the Night Fury in the mud with a stick, "Plus it hasn't tried to kill us yet. I think those are all pretty good signs."

"Doesn't exactly seem to like you though," Fishlegs commented as he watched Hiccup draw.

As they watched Hiccup sketch in the mud, the Night Fury suddenly snuck up behind them, grumbling in curiosity. While Fishlegs froze in fear, Hiccup moved to turn around and look at the dragon, but stopped when Merida reached out and grabbed his arm, forcing him to stay facing forward. Nodding at the ground, Merida urged Hiccup to continue drawing which he did while taking nervous glances at the dragon that loomed behind him. The Night Fury seemed to be mesmerized by Hiccup's actions, watching closely as Hiccup's sketch became more and more detailed.

Without warning, the Night Fury suddenly spun away and wandered off. Letting out sighs of relief, the teens turned to look in the direction the Night Fury had gone in. As they watched, the Night Fury bit onto the branch of a nearby tree before snapping it off. The teens watched in surprise as the dragon dragged the branch back over to them, leaving a deep furrow in the muddy ground as it went. As they watched, the Night Fury began to circle around them, dragging the stick with it. Each and every movement the Night Fury made seemed purposeful, as if it was clumsily mimicking Hiccup sketching in the mud. After a few moments, the three teens stood up and looked around, seeing the Night Fury had drawn a large, squiggling design in the ground around them.

"What is this?" Fishlegs asked as he looked around at the design with the others.

As Hiccup walked around, observing the lines, he stepped on one by accident, causing the Night Fury to snarl at him. Hiccup quickly pulled his foot away, in turn causing the Night Fury to revert back to its calmer demeanor. Raising an eyebrow, Merida reached her foot out and touched one of the lines, causing the dragon to snarl at her as well. Fishlegs repeated the action with similar results.

"He doesnae want us tae touch th' lines," Merida observed.

"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Fishlegs questioned.

"It's tae see if he can trust us," Merida explained, "If we can move without touchin' th' lines, it will prove tae it that I can trust us. 'At it can trust Hiccup."

"Me?" Hiccup questioned, turning to look at her in surprise.

"It shared th' fish with ye, nae me or Fishlegs" Merida explained, "Ah know animals an' Ag think 'at 'at means it trusts ye more. This is yer chance tae prove it."

Hiccup looked down at the lines then back at Merida, who smiled encouragingly at him.

"Ye can dae this, Hiccup," Merida urged him earnestly, "Ah believe in ye."

"Yeah, you got this," Fishlegs agreed motioning towards the Night Fury as it watched them patiently, "It seems to like you."

Hiccup smirked at his friend before turning to Merida and nodding to her, earning a smile and a nod back. Taking a deep, calming breath, Hiccup reached his foot out and stepped onto a space between the lines, the Night Fury watching closely, but not reacting otherwise. Smiling, Hiccup lifted his foot up and began a slow, cautious dance as he navigated his way through the maze of lines and squiggles. His eyes glued to his feet, Hiccup was completely focused on his footwork, every movement carefully calculated and cautiously applied. It was only when Merida let out a small gasp that he became aware of his surroundings again, quickly realizing that the Night Fury was now less than a foot behind him.

As the dragon snorted and grumbled at him, Hiccup cautiously turned around, looking up to meet the Night Fury's gaze as it loomed over him. Taking a cautious breath, Hiccup slowly reached out to touch the Night Fury, only for it to flinch away and growl at him. Pulling his hand back, Hiccup took a moment to think before lowering his head and shutting his eyes, holding his hand out in front of himself but making no effort to touch the Night Fury. The Night Fury's eyes widened in surprise as it glanced between Hiccup and his outstretched hand. Merida and Fishlegs looked on in anxious fascination, Merida covering her mouth with her hands as Fishlegs' fingers nervously played with one another. Looking down at Hiccup's hand, the Night Fury hesitantly leaned towards it before closing its eyes and touching Hiccup's hand with its nose.

As he felt the warm, black scales of the Night Fury touch the palm of his hand, Hiccup's knees went weak and he let out a sharp exhale of surprise and excitement. Cautiously, he opened his eyes and turned to look at the Night Fury as it opened its own eyes and pulled away, snorting before wandering away. As Hiccup watched the Night Fury walk away, a thoughtful look crossed his face before looking down at his hand. His thinking was interrupted as Merida let out an excited giggle that mixed with Fishlegs astonished shout.

"Ye did it!" Merida cried as she ran over and flung herself at Hiccup, nearly knocking the boy down as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug that he quickly returned with a surprised laugh, "Ah knew ye cud dae it!"

Pulling away, she smiled warmly at Hiccup, who grinned back at her, his hands on her waist as he looked into her eyes.

"Couldn't have done it without you, Mer," Hiccup stated gently, causing her cheeks to go red as she looked away from him, her smile growing. Before she could say anything in reply, Fishlegs ran over to them and scooped them up into a bear hug, eliciting surprised laughs from them as he spun excitedly in a circle.

"You did it!" Fishlegs exclaimed happily, "You did it! You must be the first Viking to ever make friends with a dragon!"

Anything more that Fishlegs was planning on saying was quickly interrupted by the sound of polite clapping from somewhere above them. Freezing, Fishlegs quickly dropped Hiccup and Merida before the three of them spun to look in the direction the sound had come from. Looking up, they found Hilde standing on a ledge on the cliff face above them, clapping as she smiled down at them.

"Vell done, Reiter," Hilde congratulated as she stopped clapping, her pet crow shifting on her shoulder, "Vell done. As for vhat Leser said, you're not zee first to befriend a dragon, but it has been quite some time since someone has."

"You know," Hiccup said, pointing up at Hilde, "I'm starting to get the impression that you're following us."

"Oh, don't be silly, Reiter," Hilde replied, waving her hand dismissively at him, "I'm just out gazering some sings I need like efery day. I just happen to be here vhen you vere."

Hiccup and Fishlegs shared a look that spoke volumes. Merida however, looked at the old woman with curiosity as she watched Hilde pick up a basket she had set on the ground and begin gathering what looked like small, black rocks off the ground and cliffside.

"Whit are ye gatherin', Hilde?" Merida questioned.

"Oh, just a type of rock I like to use for zis and zat," Hilde explained as she picked up some more, "Vhen I grind it up, it adds a nice little zest to my tea."

Merida raised an eyebrow in reply but said nothing else. As Hilde began to collect more rocks, the pile in her basket became slightly uneven. As she placed one on the top of the pile, it rolled off before falling out of the basket and tumbling over the side of the ledge. Merida watched it fall, noticing a fine cloud of black dust falling behind it. As the stone neared the bottom of the cliff, it hit an out cropping of rock, causing a spark as the two hard surfaces made contact with one another. In a split second, the spark reached the cloud of black dust and the whole thing ignited. As Merida's eyes widened in surprise, the whole cloud burst into a fire, engulfing the rock. As the rock hit the ground, it impacted with a loud bang as a fireball exploded out from it, covering the surrounding few feet in fire. The explosion caused the three teens to jump back in alarm as the Night Fury snapped its head up and looked on in surprise.

The teens watched as the fire quickly died down, leaving a cloud of pitch black smoke in its wake that slowly floated up into the air. As the smoke cleared, they could see that the black rock had completely broken apart, leaving only small chunks and pebbles behind. The ground within the radius had been completely scorched and the surrounding grass had been burnt to a crisp. A small stream of smoke rose from the center of the explosion, and Merida noticed the ground was cracked a foot around the epicenter.

"What the Hel was that!?" Hiccup exclaimed, looking from the smoking remains of the explosion to where Hilde stood on the ledge above, looking down at the scene.

"Oh my, I'm sorry dearies," Hilde said, putting a hand over her mouth in surprise, "I guess zat one got avay from me."

"Ye guess?" Merida asked incredulously, "Hilde, whit are those thin's!?"

"Zey go by many names amongst many people but zee most common name you'll find for zem is black rocks, or black powder ven zey're ground up. As you can see, zey can be fery…folatile vhen mixed vith fire."

"Yeah, no kidding," Fishlegs replied, scratching the back of his head as he let out a long breath.

Cautiously, Hiccup approached the damaged ground, kneeling down to examine it closer. He slowly reached out to touch the charred ground, pulling his hand back briefly as he found the ground still hot to the touch. Running his finger along the outer edge of the explosion sight, he found that it was covered with a fine black powder different from the soot he was expecting.

"What exactly do you use this stuff for again?" Hiccup asked as he stood up and looked back at Hilde, rubbing his blackened fingers together.

"Zis and zat," Hilde replied with a shrug, "Nozing you need to concern yourself vith, child. It seems to me like you made a new friend today."

Turning, Hiccup looked at the Night Fury, who was sitting by the bank of the lake, watching them.

"I certainly hope so," Hiccup replied, smirking as he turned back to look at Hilde.

"Oh, I can tell," Hilde stated, nodding sagely, "He definitely trusts you now."

"He?" Merida asked, raising an eyebrow, "How dae ye know it's a he?"

Turning, she looked at the Night Fury before looking back at Hilde.

"Looks like a she tae me," Merida commented with a shrug.

"Trust me, Jaeger," Hilde replied with a good natured chuckle, "Zat Night Fury is a male."

Merida glanced at Hiccup, who merely shrugged in reply.

"Vhat are you going to call him?" Hilde asked.

"Call it?" Fishlegs asked, "What, you mean give it a name?"

"Of course," Hilde replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "You can't just keep referring to him as it, or zee dragon, or zee Night Fury."

"Ah guess she's right," Merida replied with a chuckle before looking at Hiccup, "Whit shud we call him? Seems anly fair ye shud decide."

A thoughtful look fell over Hiccup's features. Stoking his chin, he turned to look at the Night Fury, which was still watching them some distance away. As their eyes met, the corners of the Night Fury's mouth began to twitch. As Hiccup watched, the Night Fury gave him the facsimile of a smile it had earlier, its retracted teeth showing off its red gums. As it did, an idea came to Hiccup.

"How about…Toothless," Hiccup suggested.

"Toothless?" Merida questioned as she and Fishlegs turned to follow Hiccup's gaze. Noticing all of their attention on it, the Night Fury quickly dropped its smile and looked away in seeming disinterest. Merida chuckled at the sight.

"Toothless," she repeated with a nod, "Ah like it."

"Yeah, that totally works," Fishlegs said in agreement.

"Alright," Hiccup stated firmly, a smile growing on his face as he turned to look back at the Night Fury, "Toothless it is."

A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter this time around, but I felt that this was a good stopping point for the chapter. I hope you guys liked it! As always feedback and critiques are always welcome so please review! Later!


	19. Talking and Tinkering

**Chapter 19: Talking and Tinkering **

Night had fallen over the village, casting the houses and shops in a dark twilight as the moon and stars shined overhead. Sitting on one of the freshly constructed watchtowers, huddled around a fire that had been built on the observation platform, the teens listened to Gobber as they roasted hunks of chicken meat over the flames.

"An' with ane twist, he took ma hand an' swallowed it whole!" Gobber exclaimed, holding his prosthetic hand up as evidence, an entire roasted chicken stuck to the end of it, "An' Ah saw th' look on his face. Ah was delicious. He must hae passed th' word because it wasnae a month afore another ane took ma leg."

The group of teens whispered amongst themselves in wonder as Gobber smiled in satisfaction. His face fell slightly as he heard Merida giggling to herself.

"Somethin' funny, princess?" Gobber questioned, raising an eyebrow at the girl sitting to Hiccup's left, the boy in question sitting on Gobber's left.

"Nae, sorry," Merida apologized, smiling at the blacksmith, "Yer story was great, Gobber it jist…reminds me o' ma da."

"Why's that?" Tuffnut questioned, leaning forward so he could get a better look at Merida from across the fire.

"Da tells stories like 'at all th' time, especially durin' dinner," Merida explained, smiling at the memory as she looked thoughtfully into the fire, "His favorite ane has always been aboot how he lost his leg fightin' Mor'du."

"I had heard your dad fought Mor'du before," Ruffnut stated, pointing her finger at Merida, "I heard he's got some kind of vendetta against him."

"Losin' a limb isnae exactly somethin' ye jist get over," Gobber commented knowingly.

"Ah swear Ah've heard 'at story sae many times 'at Ah cud recite it by heart," Merida said with smile.

"Why don't you?" Hiccup suggested, smirking at her.

"Huh?" Merida questioned, turning to look at Hiccup in confusion.

"Why don't you tell the story?" Hiccup clarified, "I'm sure the others would like to hear it."

Merida scanned the surrounding teens, looking to see if Hiccup was correct. Fishlegs was sitting on the edge of his seat in anticipation while the twins leaned forward so they could hear. Glancing over at Astrid, who sat on a stool provided by Gobber, her injured leg outstretched in front of her with her crutch on the ground next to her, she saw the blonde girl watching her with apparent interest. Even Snotlout was paying attention to her, though he was doing his best to seem like he wasn't. Gobber seemed interested as well, nodding encouragingly at her. Merida smiled as she turned back to Hiccup.

"Alright then," Merida said with a nod before turning back to the fire, "It all started on ma birthday, when Ah was jist a wee lass."

The other teens and even Gobber listened with rapt attention as Merida related her peoples' battles with the Vendal and their monstrous leader. Eventually, she got to her father's final confrontation with Mor'du.

"Ma father had ne'er seen a beast such as him," Merida whispered, leaning forward, unconsciously causing Fishlegs, Snotlout, Gobber and the twins to lean forward as well, "He wore th' fur o' a great black bear, its hide strew with th' weapons o' a dozen fallen warriors. His flesh was scarred from countless battles an' his face was marred with ane dead eye."

"What happened?" Ruffnut asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

"It was th' most intense fight ma da's ever experienced," Merida explained as she got to her feet and began pantomiming the sword fight, "Steel clashed with obsidian fer whit seemed like hours as neither gave th' other an inch. Eventually, th' fatigue got tae ma father an' with ane swing o' his mighty sword, Mor'du slashed ma father's leg clean off!"

The teenagers and Gobber gasped in surprise, causing Hiccup to smirk.

"What happened then?" Tuffnut questioned.

"Luckily fer ma da, th' lords an' some of'their men showed up an' Mor'du decided tae make his retreat," Merida explained as she sat back down, "'At was th' last time any o' us saw him until th' day Ah arrived here."

"Wow," Fishlegs whispered, leaning back as he digested the story, "That was pretty intense."

"Yeah," Tuffnut agreed, "I think Mor'du has only shown his face once or twice around here, and those were only during quick raids. I can't imagine what it'd be like for him to full on invade."

"Let's hope ye ne'er hae tae," Merida stated, a slightly haunted look on her face as she remembered bits from that time in her life.

"Well, Ah think 'at's enough stories fer tonight," Gobber stated as he stood up and stretched, yawning loudly, "Ye'll all need yer rest for tomorrow, as we're movin' on tae some o' th' more advanced dragons."

Merida, Hiccup and Fishlegs shared a nervous expression while Snotlout and the twins looked excited.

"I think we should cut off the feet and claws of whatever dragon we fight to avenge Gobber's hand and foot," Tuffnut suggested, earning a nod from his sister.

"Forget th' feet," Gobber interrupted, shaking his hand dismissively at the teens, "It's th' wings an' tails ye want. Without them, a dragon cannae fly an' a downed dragon is a dead dragon."

As the other teens chuckled in appreciation, Merida and Fishlegs looked over at Hiccup, who had a distant, glassy-eyed look on his face that they had both had seen before, his finger raised as if he was counting something. All of a sudden, Hiccup snapped out of his daze and hopped to his feet, signaling the others to follow him as he moved to descend from the tower.

"Well, I agree with Gobber," Hiccup said before faking a loud yawn, "I think it's time to head off to bed."

"Aye," Merida agreed, standing up and stretching, "We'll see ye lot tomorrow."

"Have a good night everyone," Fishlegs stated as he stood up and waved to the group, earning waves from Gobber and the twins and a simple nod from Snotlout. Astrid, however, only watched him go with a thoughtful look on her face before she grabbed her crutch and began to hobble after them without a word to the others.

"So what's up?" Fishlegs asked in a whisper as the three made their way down the ramp that wrapped around the tower, "Because I get the feeling that you aren't as tired as you're letting on."

"I got an idea," Hiccup replied with a low voice, "An idea on how to make Toothless fly again."

"'At's amazin', Hiccup!" Merida said excitedly, "How dae ye plan on daein' 'at?"

"It'll be easier to show you," Hiccup answered, "Come on, we have to get to the smithy."

As the three began to make their way back into the village towards the smithy, they didn't notice Astrid hobbling along behind them.

"Fishlegs!" she called after them, causing all of them to stop and spin around, "Fishlegs, wait up!"

Merida and Hiccup looked at Fishlegs, who merely shrugged back at them.

"You guys go ahead," Fishlegs said, waving them off, "I'll catch up."

Nodding, both Hiccup and Merida turned and departed, sparing Fishlegs a worried glance before continuing on as Astrid caught up.

"Uh, hey Astrid," Fishlegs greeted the girl, his eyes narrowing as he noticed she was winded, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Astrid replied dismissively as she caught her breath, "Just a little…tougher with the crutch is all."

"How's the leg doing?" Fishlegs questioned, before motioning towards a large rock sitting nearby, "Do you need to sit down?"

"It's doing better. Gothi healed it up pretty well," Astrid replied, looking down at her feet, "And yeah, I wouldn't mind sitting down."

Fishlegs walked slowly over to the rock, keeping pace with Astrid's reduced speed. Astrid sighed as she sat on the rock, happily putting her crutch to the side while Fishlegs sat down next to her.

"So," Fishlegs began awkwardly, "What was it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, you and I haven't really talked in a while," Astrid explained.

"I…I don't think we ever really talked at all," Fishlegs replied in confusion.

"Sure we did," Astrid insisted, "We use to hang out all the time."

"No, you hung out with Snotlout and the twins," Fishlegs argued, "I was always just kind of there. I think I talked to Ruffnut more than I talked to you."

"Well," Astrid said hesitantly, "Sorry about that then."

"It's no big deal," Fishlegs stated with a shrug, "I just kind of figured you didn't really like me."

"I never disliked you, Fishlegs," Astrid insisted, turning to look at the other boy in the eye, "Honestly, I think I preferred your company to Snotlout 's or Tuffnut's."

"Really?" Fishlegs asked with a snort, "Why's that?"

"Well, you didn't hit on me every other second," Astrid explained, looking down at her feet, "So, that's a plus."

"Well, it's not like I ever had a chance with someone like you," Fishlegs stated, smirking and rolling his eyes.

"You were a lot better conversation," Astrid said, smirking at the other boy and ignoring the self-depreciating humor, "Weren't always talking about how big your muscles are or how many dragons you were going to kill after dragon training."

"When you spoke," she continued, looking back at Fishlegs who was looking at her in surprise, "You actually had something to say. It was…refreshing, and I kind of miss that."

"Wow…thanks," Fishlegs replied, his cheeks turning red as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

"Just telling the truth," Astrid replied with a shrug of her shoulders, looking back at her feet, "Why did you start hanging out with Hiccup again?"

"Well, if you remember, me and him used to be really close," Fishlegs explained, "He was my best friend. He is my best friend. And I missed him."

"Why'd you stop hanging out with him in the first place?" Astrid questioned, turning to face Fishlegs again.

"My dad hates him," Fishlegs said with a sigh, "Thinks he's the biggest burden the village has and that he's been a bad influence on me. He kind of forced me to start hanging out with Snotlout and Tuffnut."

"Only kind of?" Astrid questioned, picking up on the hesitance in Fishleg's voice.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't hate the abuse I got by being lumped in with Hiccup. Being seen as a failure like him," Fishlegs explained, a remorseful look on his face, "I just wanted people to like me. To be proud of me. So when my dad told me to stop hanging out with Hiccup, I didn't exactly put up a fight."

Fishlegs paused as he looked down at his hands clasped in front of him.

"It's something I've regretted ever since," Fishlegs finished.

"Was he mad when you went back to him?" Astrid questioned.

"Oh yeah," Fishlegs replied with a snort, "This was right after he beat up Snotlout and Tuffnut. I was worried he was going to do the same to me."

"Why didn't he?" Astrid asked.

"Well, I like to think I wouldn't have just rolled over and taken it if he had, but that's beside the point," Fishlegs answered with a shrug, "I just managed to convince him that I was sorry. That I wanted to be his friend again."

"And he believed it?" Astrid questioned, a surprised look on her face.

"Well, he took a little convincing but yeah," Fishlegs replied, "I mean, Hiccup's a pretty trusting guy, despite all of the stuff that he's had to deal with. Even then, I still had to earn his trust back."

"I see," Astrid stated simply, her eyes falling back towards her feet. There was a lull in the conversation before a pensive look crossed Fishlegs' face.

"Astrid, what is all this about?" Fishlegs inquired, turning to face her, "Why do you want to know about this?"

"I've…made some mistakes too, Fishlegs," Astrid said with a sigh, "I've done things that I'm starting to regret and I…I need to know how to fix things."

"You're talking about you and Merida, aren't you?" Fishlegs surmised.

"I haven't been the best person to a lot of people," Astrid elaborated, "But yeah, this has to do with me and the princess."

"Well, I think that's your first problem right there," Fishlegs stated.

"What is?" Astrid asked in confusion.

"Calling her that," Fishlegs explained, "I don't think you've ever called her by her real name. She has one you know."

"I know!" Astrid snapped, turning to glare at Fishlegs, growing angry with the condescending tone Fishlegs was using on her.

"Well, I'm sure she'd appreciate you using it when talking to her," Fishlegs stated, seemingly unphased by Astrid's anger. Astrid sighed before turning away again.

"I was asking for your advice," Astrid grumbled, "Not for you to lecture me."

"Sorry," Fishlegs replied, holding up his hands in an effort to placate her, "I'm just trying to help."

This seemed to satisfy Astrid, who visibly calmed.

"Still, I'm not sure what other advice I can give you other than tell her you're sorry," Fishlegs continued, "Merida can be pretty headstrong from what I've seen and I can't guarantee she'll accept an apology right away, and even if she does, I'm guessing it won't be without a good amount of yelling."

"Kind of what I'm expecting," Astrid said with a sigh.

"But that's not to say that it's impossible for her to forgive you," Fishlegs explained, "After all, she used to hate Hiccup, and now look at them."

"I have to admit, they're pretty good together," Astrid agreed with a small smirk, "Not something I was expecting."

"Hiccup's been surprising a lot of people recently," Fishlegs stated, turning to look at Astrid with a smile, "I think it's been because of Merida's influence. They're good for each other. Possibly even more than they realize."

"You seem like you're really rooting for them," Astrid said with a smirk, raising an eyebrow at Fishlegs.

"They're kind of adorable, Fishlegs explained with a laugh, "Even if they don't realize it."

Astrid laughed as well, pushing a stray hair behind her ear as she smiled at Fishlegs. Sighing, she turned and picked up her crutch.

"Well, thanks for the talk, Fishlegs," Astrid stated with a smile, "This has been…enlightening."

"No problem," Fishlegs replied with a shrug.

"Can you do me a favor?" Astrid questioned.

"Yeah, sure," Fishlegs replied, giving Astrid a questioning look, "What is it?"

"Can you not mention any of this to the prin…to Merida?" Astrid asked uncertainly, "I'd rather her not know about this."

"Sure," Fishlegs agreed, nodding his head, "I can do that."

"Thanks," Astrid said, struggling to push herself to her feet.

"Here," Fishlegs said, pushing himself to his feet before offering his hand to Astrid, "Let me help you."

Astrid hesitated for a moment, looking at Fishleg's offered hand as she tried to figure out what to do. Her pride screamed at her to not take the offered help. She seemed weak enough already with her injuries, she didn't need to go accepting help for things she was perfectly capable of doing herself. But at the same time, Fishlegs was one, if not the, nicest guys she knew and looked like he genuinely wanted to help her. It was just him here. He wouldn't judge her, right?

"Sure," Astrid whispered as she reached out and strongly grasped Fishlegs' hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. As he did, Fishlegs accidentally pulled to hard, forcing Astrid to reach out and catch herself on his chest. Fishleg's face glowed bright red as Astrid slowly pushed herself upright.

"Sorry," Fishlegs whispered, looking away in embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it," Astrid replied with a smirk.

Balancing on one leg, she rested her crutch on the ground before leaning against it.

"Thanks," she said to Fishlegs with a genuine smile.

"No problem," Fishlegs replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Um, Fishlegs?" Astrid said with a slightly awkward tone.

"Yeah?" Fishlegs questioned.

"I'm going to need my hand back," Astrid said, nodding towards her other hand which was still firmly clasped in Fishlegs'.

"Oh!" Fishlegs exclaimed, releasing her hand like he had been burnt, his face flushing bright red in embarrassment, "S-Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Astrid repeated, grasping her crutch with both hands and lowering her head in order to hide the small smile on her face, "I should get going."

"Do…Do you want me to help me back to your house?" Fishlegs offered nervously.

"No, I got it," Astrid replied with a chuckle as she began to hobble in the direction of her house, "Thanks though."

"Uh, no problem," Fishlegs replied, waving awkwardly towards her, "Have a good night."

"You too," Astrid replied as she began to walk away, but stopped after a few feet, "Hey, Fishlegs?"

"Uh, yeah?" Fishlegs asked.

"I think you have a lot better chances with someone like me than you give yourself credit for," Astrid said with a genuine smile before turning and limping away again. As she left, Fishlegs watched her go, standing stock still as a blush spread across his face. After she had disappeared, Fishlegs sighed and scratched the back of his head before turning and slowly making his way towards the smithy, pausing for a moment to glance over his shoulder in the direction Astrid had gone it before continuing on.

Smoke rose out of the smithy chimney as Hiccup stoked the fires of the forge with the bellows. Meanwhile, Merida stood at Hiccup's drawing table, looking over a sketch he had quickly done after they had arrived.

"Ye sure this will work?" Merida questioned, "Nae 'at Ah doubt ye, but Ah've ne'er seen anythin' like this afore."

"I know," Hiccup said as he let the bellows rest and turned towards Merida, "But I think it's the only way were going to get Toothless to fly again."

As he finished, Fishlegs entered the smithy, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Hey Fishlegs," Merida greeted him friendly, "Whit did Astrid want tae talk aboot?"

The question seemed to snap Fishlegs back to reality, causing him to play with his hands nervously.

"Oh, nothing really," he said unconvincingly, "Just…you know…stuff."

There was a pause as Hiccup and Merida merely looked at Fishlegs with blank expressions.

"Just…stuff?" Hiccup repeated, clearly not believing anything his friend was saying.

"Why daenae ye want tae tell us?" Merida asked.

"Look, she asked me not to, okay?" Fishlegs pleaded, "Don't make me tell."

Merida and Hiccup shared a look before Hiccup sighed and smiled at Fishlegs.

"Don't worry, bud," Hiccup said, leaning against the bellows, "We understand."

"Thanks guys," Fishlegs said with a smile as he walked further into the smithy, "So what exactly are you working on?"

"I'm building a replacement wing for Toothless," Hiccup explained.

"What now?" Fishlegs questioned.

"I'm building a replacement fin for Toothless' tail to let him steady himself while he flies," Hiccup elaborated, "Can you hand me some of that iron?"

Nodding, Fishlegs handed Hiccup some long lengths of iron, which the smaller boy took and placed in the hot coals.

"You need some help?" Fishlegs offered.

"Sure," Hiccup accepted, "If all of us work on this together, we can get this done before the night is over."

While Fishlegs helped Hiccup with his work at the forge, following Hiccup's lead, Merida began stitching lengths of heavy cloth together.

"Guess all those stitchin' lessons with ma mother werenae a waste," Merida said as she proudly held a length of her finished work up for the boys to see.

"Nice job, Mer," Hiccup congratulated her as he walked over and held up a long metal rod up to the cloth to make sure it was the right length.

Hours passed, the only sound in the smithy was the light conversation between the three teens and the pounding of hammer against metal. Eventually, after all the pieces had been built and assembled, Hiccup stood with a mechanical, folding fin made of iron and heavy cloth, that was a few inches longer than he was tall.

"Wow," Fishlegs said in wonder, "Do you think it will work?"

"Only way we'll know is if we test it," Hiccup replied, snapping the fin closed and tucking it under his arm, "I should bring it back to my house to make sure Gobber doesn't find it."

"Good idea," Fishlegs agreed, before yawning loudly as the three of them made their way out of the smithy, "Now, if you guys don't mind, I'd like to get some sleep before the sun comes up."

"Sounds like a good idea," Merida agreed, "See you tomorrow, Fishlegs."

"See you guys tomorrow," Fishlegs echoed before heading off in the direction of his house and disappearing into the night. Merida and Hiccup watched him go before turning and heading in the direction of their own home. As they walked, Hiccup readjusted the fin so that he could better carry it.

"Ye need some help with 'at?" Merida offered.

"No, I got it," Hiccup replied as he adjusted it again, "Big, strong Vikings like me don't need help carrying stuff like this."

"Oh, ye're a big, strong Viking now, are ye?" Merida teasingly questioned.

"Yeah, didn't you notice?" Hiccup huffed as he readjusted his grip for a third time, "I've been working out."

"Yes, Ah can clearly see th' definition on those boney arms o' yers," Merida joked, rolling her eyes at him.

"Wow, and here I thought my girlfriend would try and give me positive reinforcement," Hiccup groused facetiously.

"Ye're jist jealous because Ah hae bigger muscles then ye," Merida joked, before noticing Hiccup was losing his grip on the fin again, "Really though, let me help ye."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Hiccup agreed as he came to a stop and set the fin on the ground, "Just let me set it down for a second."

As Hiccup placed the fin on the ground, Merida happened to glance around the village, which she got a good view of from their position higher up on the hill. Most of the buildings appeared merely as shapes in the darkness, indistinguishable from one another. However, Merida could clearly make out the arena from its position nearly on the opposite side of the village. A pensive look crossed her face that was not missed by Hiccup.

"Something wrong, Mer?" Hiccup questioned.

"Nae, jist thinkin'," Merida replied, not taking her eyes away from the arena.

"What are you thinking about?" Hiccup pressed, setting the fin aside.

"It's jist," she began hesitantly as she tried to find the right words to explain what she was thinking as she turned to look at him, "Dae ye think we cud teach th' other dragons tae trust us? Ye know, like how Toothless has started tae?"

"I guess so," Hiccup answered with a shrug, "I mean, we'd probably have a harder time with it, seeing as we've been fighting them and all, but I wouldn't say it'd be impossible. I mean, we shot down Toothless but that hasn't stopped him from warming up to us. Why are you thinking about this?"

"Taeday in th' arena, with th' Nadder, it felt like we made, Ah daenae know, a connection or somethin'," Merida explained, running her hand through her hair in frustration.

"This is the same Nadder that was specifically trying to kill you, right?" Hiccup questioned, raising an eyebrow at Merida.

"Ah'm nae actin' like Ah understand it," Merida answered with a frustrated sigh, shooting him an annoyed glare, "Ah'm jist tellin' ye how it felt."

"Sorry," Hiccup replied, holding his hands up defensively in front of himself, "I'm just trying to understand what you're thinking."

"Ah'm sorry too," Merida said with a sigh, "Ah've ne'er been good at taking ma thoughts an' getting them oot there, ye know?"

"Trust me, I know," Hiccup replied with a chuckle, "and I'm not saying you didn't form some kind of bond with that Nadder. I'm just as new to this whole "making-friends-with-dragons" thing as you are, so what do I know, right?"

Merida let out a chuckle of her own as she smiled at him.

"We'll just have to wait and see," Hiccup surmised with a shrug, "I mean it's not like we're going to break into the arena and let the Nadder out tonight just to see what would happen."

"Aye," Merida agreed in a low voice as she looked back towards the darkened shape of the arena, "Nae taenight at least."

"So, let's head home, shall we?" Hiccup asked as he picked up the fin and lay one end of it across his shoulders.

"Let's," Merida agreed, walking over and resting the other end of the fin on her shoulders. Reaching up, the two used their hands to steady the fin. As they did, Hiccup's left hand touched Merida's right. Looking at each other, the two teens smiled as their cheeks turned rosy before Hiccup lay his hand over Merida's and they made their way back to the house.

A/N: A bit of a short chapter again, but I had a lot of fun with the character interactions in this one. Hope you guys liked it too! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome so please review! Later!


	20. Spread Your Wings

**Chapter 20: Spread Your Wings **

The sound of heavy hooves clomping through the undergrowth echoed among the trees as Merida lead Angus behind her, Fishlegs and Hiccup walking along with her through the forest. Angus snorted in annoyance as he tried to shake off the mechanical fin and basket of fish they had tied to his back, causing Merida to look over her shoulder and glare at him.

"Och, stop complainin', ye big wuss," Merida snapped at him, causing Angus to snort back at her, "We're almost there."

"You sure it was a good idea to bring him, Merida?" Fishlegs questioned, glancing at the horse over, "I mean, I don't think he's going to fit into the cove."

"Well, if ye'd rather carry th' fin an' 'at basket o' fish, Ah'm sure Angus wud be happy tae oblige ye," Merida replied with a snort.

"Point taken," Fishlegs replied with a smirk and a shrug. A moment later, the walls surrounding the cove came into view as the three teens and the horse came over a hill. Stopping by the entrance to the cove, the teens unloaded the equipment from Angus' back, causing the horse to shake and snort in appreciation.

"Now, ye wait here, Angus," Merida instructed, patting the horse's head while Fishlegs slung the basket of fish over his shoulder and Hiccup balanced the fin across his, "We shudnae be too long."

The horse snorted in reply before turning and wandering over to a patch of grass that he began to munch on. Turning back to the others, Merida helped Hiccup lift up the fin and the three teens made their way into the cove.

As they made their way into the cove, the three teens saw that Toothless was sleeping near the waterfall that deposited the water into the cove's lake.

"Hey Toothless," Hiccup greeted the dragon in a singsong voice as the three teens approached the dragon, causing it to perk up and watch them with curiosity, "We've got breakfast. We hope you're hungry."

As Hiccup spoke, Fishlegs put the basket of fish on the ground and pushed it over, emptying its contents onto the ground in front of Toothless.

"Okay, that's disgusting," Hiccup muttered, turning his nose up to the smell as Fishlegs gagged and quickly backed away. The three teens wearily moved away as Toothless sniffed the air and began to cautiously approach the pile of fish.

"We've got some salmon, some cod, and even a whole smoked eel," Hiccup talked as he and Merida began circling around Toothless with the fin. At the mention of the eel, Toothless suddenly snarled and backed away from the pile of fish. Raising an eyebrow, Merida leaned down and grabbed the dead eel by its tail and held up. As she brought it closer to Toothless, the dragon snarled viciously as it shied away.

"No, no, no, no!" Hiccup said, holding out his hand to stop Toothless from approaching as Merida quickly tossed the eel away. This seemed to placate Toothless, who turned his attention back to the pile of fish.

"Yeah, I don't really like eel either," Hiccup commented as Toothless began to eat into the pile of fish.

"That's it, that's it," Hiccup whispered soothingly as he, Merida and Fishlegs slowly moved around towards Toothless' tail while the dragon devoured the fish in front of them, "Don't mind us. We're just minding our own business."

Laying the fin down next to Toothless' tail on the ground, Hiccup carefully lined it up with the dragon's injured appendage. As they lined up the fin, Toothless shifted his tail away, causing the three teens to jump in surprise. Glancing over, they could see Toothless was still distracted by the pile of fish. As they tried to line up the fin with Toothless' tail, the dragon kept moving it as he dug into the fish.

"This isnae workin'," Merida growled in frustration before she tossed her bow and arrows away and sat down on the dragon's tail as Toothless stuck his head into the basket in an effort to get more fish, using her weight to hold the appendage down.

"Hurry up an' put it on," Merida whispered. Nodding, Hiccup and Fishlegs pushed down on the tail as well. As they did, Toothless suddenly jerked forward, causing them to lose their grip. Growling in frustration, Hiccup spun around and sat on the tail as well while Merida scooted back to give him room. Meanwhile, Fishlegs moved to the tip of the tail and held it down while shifting the fin into place with Hiccup.

Quickly wrapping one of the securing belts around Toothless's tail, Hiccup pulled it tight to ensure that the fin did not fall off. As Hiccup and Fishlegs worked to secure the other belts, Toothless raised his head out of the basket, a look of confusion on his face. A look of surprise crossed Toothless' face as he felt Hiccup and Fishlegs secure the fin to his tail. Slowly, unnoticed to the teens, Toothless began to spread his wings. As he did, Hiccup and Fishlegs sat back, smiling at their handiwork.

"Looks good, lads" Merida observed with a smile as Hiccup adjusted the fin, spreading it out further.

"Do you think it will work?" Fishlegs questioned.

"There's really only one way to-WHOA!" Hiccup exclaimed, cut off midstatement as Toothless shot into the air, dragging Merida and Hiccup with him as they instinctively wrapped their arms around the dragon's tail, the sudden burst of wind knocking Fishlegs onto his rear as he watch his friends fly away with wide eyes.

"Hiccup!" Merida screamed over the whipping wind, holding onto Toothless' tail for dear life, "Dae somethin'!"

His mind racing a mile a minute, Hiccup looked down at the fin in front of him, rippling in the wind, still closed against Toothless' tail. As Hiccup saw this, Toothless began to fall out of the, sending the three of them hurtling towards the ground. While Merida let out a scream of mortal terror, Hiccup grabbed hold of the fin and yanked it open, causing Toothless to go shooting into the open sky.

"It's working!" Hiccup exclaimed happily as Toothless climbed to a dizzying height.

"Brilliant!" Merida shouted back, half excitedly, half sarcastically, "Now whit dae we dae!?"

"I'm working on it!" Hiccup yelled as he yanked the fin to the side, causing Toothless to bank sharply back towards the cove, the dragon gliding just a few feet above the surface of the lake.

"Yes!" Hiccup shouted excitedly "We did it! It works!"

As Merida let out a whoop of excitement and joy, Toothless glanced back at them with a confused look, before an annoyed expression crossed his face and he turned sharply to the side, causing his tail to whip around sharply and fling Merida and Hiccup off, sending them skipping across the surface of the lake before plunging in with a mighty splash. A second later, Toothless let out a screech of surprise before crashing into the lake as well.

"Great Odin's raven!" Fishlegs exclaimed as he ran towards the edge of the lake as Hiccup and Merida swam back to the surface, dragging the empty basket with him, "Are you guys alright!?"

"Are ye kiddin'!?" Merida exclaimed as she swam to shallower water and stood up, throwing her arms into the air triumphantly as her damp hair swung around wildly, "'At was amazin'! We were flyin'!"

"We also almost died," Hiccup stated as he wiped his wet hair out of his face, earning an annoyed glare from Merida before he smiled excitedly at her, "But yeah, we were flying, and that was awesome!"

"That was pretty incredible guys," Fishlegs added wistfully, "Wish I could have been up there with you guys."

"You'll get your chance, bud," Hiccup replied as he tried to shake some of the water out of his ears. As he did, Toothless pulled himself out of the water, grumbling to himself before wandering over to a sunny patch of the cove and began to dry himself in the warm sunlight.

"Just not today," Hiccup added with a nervous smile.

"Aye," Merida agreed, ringing some water out of her hair, "Ah have a feelin' 'at if we tried somethin' like 'at again taeday, Toothless is likely tae eat us fer lunch."

"Speaking of which, we should be heading back to the village," Fishlegs said, looking up at the sun to judge the time, "We don't want to be late for Gobber's dragon lesson this afternoon."

"Right," Merida agreed, before looking over at Toothless, who had swung his tail around to look at the mechanical fin attached to it. Looking closely at the fin, Toothless narrowed his eyes as he tried to flick the fin open to no avail. Grumbling, Toothless turned away from his tail before laying his head down and closing his eyes.

"Dae ye think we shud try tae take th' fin?" Merida asked, turning to look at Hiccup.

"Probably better if we let him keep it," Hiccup replied as he looked over at the grumpy dragon.

"Well, I guess we should be getting back then," Fishlegs stated as he lifted his bag back onto his shoulders. As he did, Merida glanced back at the lake before tucking a stray hair behind her ear and looking up at the hot summer sun.

"You coming, Mer?" Hiccup asked as he and Fishlegs moved towards the exit of the cove.

"Ah'll catch up with ye lads," Merida replied as she looked back at them, "There's somethin' Ah wanted tae check oot. Ah'll grab Angus, sae daenae worry aboot me bein' late."

Hiccup looked at Merida in confusion for a few moments, prompting her to make a shooing at him. He looked towards Fishlegs for some insight into what was going on, but the larger boy merely shrugged before motioning for them to leave.

"Alright, see you back at the village," Hiccup replied, waving at her before turning and leaving with Fishlegs. Merida waved back and watched them leave before turning back to the lake. She began pulling off her wet vest, noticing Toothless watching her with a curious eye.

"Ye know," she said to the dragon as she tossed her vest onto a large rock before starting to pull her shirt over her head, "It's been awhile since Ah've had a nice swim."

_Meanwhile_,

As the two Viking teens made their way through the forest back towards the village, Fishlegs held the empty basket out in front of him, peering into its insides.

"I still can't believe he ate all of those fish," Fishlegs commented.

"He's a big dragon," Hiccup explained with a shrug.

"Imagine if he was bigger," Fishlegs mused as he slung the basket back over his shoulder, "Imagine how much he would eat then."

"Kind of a scary thought," Hiccup replied with a chuckle.

"More than kind of," Fishlegs stated seriously, "It would probably be terrifying."

"Maybe not the best thing to be thinking about right now," Hiccup pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right," Fishlegs replied before another thought occurred to him, "You know it was pretty weird the way he hated that eel."

"Yeah," Hiccup agreed a pensive look on his face, "I wonder if that's true for all dragons."

As Hiccup said that, he suddenly came to a dead stop, Fishlegs walking a few feet before noticing Hiccup was no longer walking with him and turning to look back at his friend.

"What is it?" Fishlegs asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You go on ahead," Hiccup replied, motioning towards the direction the village was in, "I'm going to go back to that cove and grab that eel. I want to see if it has the same effect on other dragons as it does on Toothless."

"What about Merida?" Fishlegs questioned.

"She probably just needed to relieve herself or something," Hiccup replied dismissively as he began making his way back towards the cove, "She's probably already on her way to catch up with us."

"Alright, see you back at the village," Fishlegs replied with a wave before heading back towards the village.

"See you," Hiccup stated before disappearing into the forest.

For a few minutes, Fishlegs walked alone through the woods, humming as the birds twittered amongst themselves in the forest canopy. As he came over a small hill, Fishlegs accidentally kicked something hard and heavy, almost causing him to trip and fall onto his face.

Turning back to look at what he had tripped over, Fishlegs put the basket on the ground as he noticed a large, black rock sitting nearby. Walking over to it, Fishlegs leaned down and picked it up, holding it in front of his face to examine it closer.

"This looks like one of those black rocks Hilde was collecting," Fishlegs mused as he turned the rock over in his hands.

"Indeed it is, Leser," an old, familiar voice suddenly said from behind him, causing Fishlegs to let out a cry of surprise and fear as he fumbled the rock in his hand. Getting a good grip on the rock, he spun around with it raised to strike whatever had surprised him. Instead, what Fishlegs found was Hilde standing behind him, grinning up at him.

"Going to shtrike a defenseless old voman, Leser?" Hilde questioned as her pet crow cawed angrily at Fishlegs.

"No," Fishlegs replied as he caught his breath and lowered his arm, "You just surprised me is all."

"My apologizes," Hilde stated with a smirk, "Sometimes I forget how…quiet I can be."

"That's an understatement," Fishlegs snorted before looking down at the rock in his hand, "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"Gazering zis and zat," Hilde explained, motioning towards the basket she was carrying that held various berries, herbs and roots.

"Speaking of which, you said this was one of the rocks you were collecting before?" Fishlegs asked, holding up the rock he was carrying.

"Indeed it is," Hilde assured him as she reached down and picked a herd growing out of the ground near Fishlegs' foot.

"Why is it here?" Fishlegs asked, looking at the rock with confusion, "From what I know about mining, minerals usually bunch together below the surface."

"Oh, zat's simple," Hilde replied as she began to wander away prompting Fishlegs to follow her, "Zey don't come from zee earth."

"If they don't come from the earth then where do they come from?" Fishlegs questioned in confusion.

"Dragons," Hilde replied simply as she leaned down and picked a few berries from a nearby bush.

"What do you mean dragons?" Fishlegs inquired.

"You know vhat dragons hafe to do to breathe fire, correct?" Hilde asked as she continued to gather materials from the surrounding forest.

"They have to chew on brimstone," Fishlegs replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Indeed," Hilde replied with a nod, "But do you know vhat happens vhen zat passes srough a dragon's system?"

"Um…no I don't," Fishlegs answered, shaking his head.

"Vell, as zee brimstone passes srough zee dragon's bowels, it mixes vith zee food zee dragon eats and zeir own digestife juices," Hilde explained as she sorted some of the things in her basket while looking up at Fishlegs, "Vhen it comes out zee other side, it results in vhat you see before you."

"…Excuse me?" Fishlegs asked as his brain rushed to process what Hilde was telling him.

"Black rock is solidified dragon feces," Hilde said plainly.

An utterly shocked look crossed Fishlegs' face as Hilde turned and began walking away.

"I must be getting home now, Leser," Hilde said as she disappeared into the brush, "I'm sure you must be going as well. Hafe a nice day!"

Fishlegs said nothing as Hilde left, simply staring at the spot she had been standing in. After a few moments, he turned his hand so the rock fell out of his hand, landing on the ground with a thud and kicking up a small cloud of black dust. Fishlegs quickly dusted off his hands before vigorously wiping it on his tunic before turning and wandering back towards the village with a completely blank look on his face.

_Meanwhile_,

As Hiccup reached the cove, he noticed Angus standing near the entrance, eating some grass. Hiccup was honestly surprised to see the horse, figuring that Merida would have left already. Shrugging, he made his way into the cove.

Entering the cove, Hiccup scanned the area. Toothless was where the three teens had left him, sunbathing on the ground. However, Merida was nowhere to be seen. Before Hiccup put any more thought into that fact, his eye caught the black and yellow coloring of the dead eel lying near the lake. Walking over to it, Hiccup picked up the eel and smiled at it before tucking it into a pocket of his vest.

As he closed his vest, Hiccup heard a gasp come from the direction of the lake. Looking over towards the sound of the voice, Hiccup saw Merida standing in the shallows of the lake, looking at him with wide eyes. It took a moment for Hiccup to realize that Merida was not dressed as she usually was. Instead, she only wore the chest bindings that were common for Viking girls to wear along with a pair of tight briefs. As a result, Hiccup saw more of Merida than he had ever had before, from her bare midriff to her exposed shoulders to the majority of her long slender legs. Her hair hung free, the wet locks draped around her shoulders with a few loose strands hanging in front of her face.

As Hiccup's face began to glow bright red as he openly stared at Merida, the girl quickly covered her body with her hands and crouched into the water to obscure herself.

"Hiccup!" she exclaimed, her face glowing as red as her hair, "Whit are ye daein' here!?"

"I-I-I w-w-was…I was j-just…th-the eel…you see I-I was…" Hiccup quickly stammered, trying to find the words that would somehow, someway explain why he was standing there staring at her like some kind of moronic pervert. As his brain failed to provide any sort of answer, his feet took over, spinning him around to face away from Merida as he stood ramrod still.

"I'm so sorry!" Hiccup exclaimed, his face burning so hot he was legitimately concerned that his hair was going to catch fire, "You…you have absolutely no idea how sorry I am!"

"W-Why did ye come back!?" Merida stammered, glancing at the rock where her clothes lay so very far away.

"I…I was looking for the eel…" Hiccup explained.

"Th' eel?" Merida asked incredulously as she looked at the back of Hiccup's head like he was stupid.

"Me and Fishlegs, you know him, well, we thought it was weird that Toothless, like, didn't like it, the eel that is, and we were wondering if, you know, it would have the same effect on other dragons, maybe," Hiccup rambled as he tried to explain himself.

Merida said nothing as she continued to crouch in the water, figuring that was a perfectly good explanation as to why the young man was there.

"I'm really sorry, Merida," Hiccup apologized, "I had no idea you were going for a swim."

"It-It's nae yer fault, Hiccup," Merida replied, beginning to relax a little, "It's ma fault fer nae tellin' ye whit I was daein'."

"All the same, I-I guess I should be heading back to the village," Hiccup replied, motioning in the direction that the village was in, "So, I guess I'll see you there."

"Wait!" Merida exclaimed, standing up and holding out her hand, causing Hiccup to freeze in place, though he remained facing away from Merida.

"Huh?" Hiccup asked dumbly.

"Wud ye…" Merida began nervously, before taking a deep breath and continuing, "Wud ye like tae join me?"

The question shocked Hiccup to his very core. This was the last thing he was expecting. Did this girl, no this pretty girl, no this half naked, pretty girl, no this half naked, pretty girl who was also his girlfriend really want to go swimming with him? The shock sent his mind reeling so much that he simply stood there, for so long in fact that Merida began to grow worried.

"Hiccup?" Merida asked gently as she walked out of the water and over to where Hiccup was standing, mud caking her wet feet, "Hic, are ye okay? Ah'm sorry if Ah offended ye."

"Offended me?" Hiccup asked with a surprised laugh, "The last thing I'm feeling right now is offended."

"Then…whit's th' matter?" Merida asked, feeling suddenly self-conscious again, making an effort to obscure her body with her hands.

"Honestly?" Hiccup asked, letting out a nervous chuckle, "You're the most gorgeous girl…no, the most gorgeous woman that I've laid eyes on, and now you're standing right behind me, half-naked and soaking wet, and I'm legitimately worried that if I turn around and look at you, I'm going to pass out, or be blinded by your beauty or…something to that effect."

Merida was struck silent by this revelation. She knew Hiccup was attracted to her, he had said as much to her before. But never could she have imagined him saying something like this. At first, she flushed so brightly that she wouldn't have been surprised if she was red from head to toe. Then all at once, her confidence returned with a fury. This boy, no this man, this wonderful man, thought she was gorgeous. Not pretty. Not beautiful. Gorgeous. She'd be damned if she wasn't going to show her appreciation.

"Hic," she said, reaching out and placing her hands on his shoulders, "Hic, look at me."

"I really can't," Hiccup replied, letting out another nervous chuckle as he stiffed under Merida's touch.

"Yes, ye can," Merida whispered into his ear, leaning forward and pressing herself against his back while resting her chin on his shoulder, "Ye're gaein' tae hae tae at some point. We're betrothed, remember?"

"Oh trust me, I remember," Hiccup answered, goose bumps standing up on the back of his neck as he felt Merida's breath against his skin.

"Then look at me," Merida said gently before slowly spinning him around to face her, Hiccup either unable or unwilling to resist her. He was, however, able to squeeze his eyes closed as possible.

"Open yer eyes, Hiccup," Merida stated with an amused giggle as she reached up and cupped his face, causing Hiccup to suck in his breath, "Open them fer me."

Slowly, carefully, Hiccup opened his eyes until his green eyes peered into her icy blue ones. For a few moments, the two just stared at each other, Hiccup unwilling to look away from her face.

"It's alright," Merida reassured him with a shy grin, her blush returning, "Ye're allowed tae look at me."

"I'm…allowed?" Hiccup asked with a nervous chuckle.

"Aye," she laughed back, reaching up and running a hand through his auburn hair, "Ye an' ye alone."

Gulping, Hiccup slowly allowed his eyes to fall from her gaze to look at the rest of her. As he observed her, Merida's face reddened, feeling simultaneously more confident and more vulnerable than she had ever felt before. Eventually, Hiccup's eyes returned to her, his gaze so full of warmth that it made her weak in the knees.

"You're more beautiful than I imagined," Hiccup whispered, causing Merida to smile broadly at him.

"Come swim with me," Merida whispered, reaching down and taking Hiccup's hands in hers.

"I…I think I'm a little overdressed," Hiccup replied.

"Then get undressed," Merida stated simply, running her eyes up and down Hiccup's body, "Ah've shown ye mine, now it's time fer ye tae show me yes, sae tae speak."

Hiccup's face was beat red as he thought over Merida's words.

"Ah can turn around if 'at wud help?" Merida offered.

"I…I think it might," Hiccup replied, a large amount of sweat forming on his forehead.

"All right," Merida said with a sultry voice as turned around and walked back towards the lake, throwing an extra swing in her hips as she walked, glancing over her shoulder to look at Hiccup, "Come join me in th' water when ye're ready."

As Merida made her way back into the water and began to swim around, Hiccup quickly but cautiously took off his clothes until he was dressed merely dressed in his briefs, showing off the majority of his pale, lean body. As he made his way over to the lake shore, Merida pulled herself up onto a rock and leaned against it, smiling at Hiccup.

"Hi there, handsome," Merida cooed, looking at Hiccup with half-lidded eyes.

"Handsome?" Hiccup asked, his face flushing as he walked into the water, "I think you got the wrong guy."

"Oh please," Merida replied as she swam over to Hiccup's side as he entered the lake up to his shoulders, the girl floating a few feet in front of him, her long hair fanning out in the water, "Ye're plenty handsome."

"I think you're seeing things, Mer," Hiccup replied, looking away from Merida, "I'm not what you'd call muscular or good-looking."

"Who ever said Ah find big, bulgin' muscles attractive?" Merida asked as she swam closer to Hiccup, reaching out and running her hand along his arm, tracing the muscles defined by years as a blacksmith with her thumb, "Ah prefer someone with a bit more of a…wiry build."

As Hiccup looked away from her, Merida reached up and cupped Hiccup's face, turning it to look at her.

"An' let's nae ferget those wonderful, warm, green eyes of yours," Merida whispered as she swam in closer to Hiccup, resting her other hand against his shoulder, his instinctively going to her waist.

"Sounds like there are a lot of things you like about me," Hiccup commented as the two moved closer together until their bodies were practically touching.

"Oh, we cud be here all day, gaein' through a list o' th' thin's Ah like aboot ye," Merida replied as she wrapped her arms around Hiccup's neck, playing with the hair on the back of his head with her hand, "Can Ah tell ye somethin', Hiccup?"

"Anything," Hiccup whispered as he moved his head closer towards hers and partially closed his eyes.

"Ah was heartbroken when Ah found oot ma parents had arranged a marriage fer me," Merida explained as she tilted her head to the side and moved closer towards Hiccup, their faces only inches apart as their eyes closed "But if Ah had known whit ye were like, known whit was waitin' fer me, Ah wud hae sailed th' boat over here maself."

As Hiccup and Merida's lips pulled, slowly, unceasingly closer to one another, Merida whispered a final thought.

"Ye're everythin' Ah ne'er knew Ah wanted."

With that, their lips met, slowly moving against one another as electricity seemed to jolt between their bodies like a completed circut. For a moment, it seemed as if the entire world fell away, leaving only the two of them embracing in the endless water, sharing their first kiss.

Eventually, the two parted, their faces flushed. Slowly, they opened their eyes, looking right at one another as matching grins spread across their faces.

"Wow," Merida whispered.

"Yeah," Hiccup agreed with a chuckle, "My thoughts exactly."

"Did we really wait this long tae dae this?" Merida questioned.

"I guess we didn't know what we were missing," Hiccup replied with a shrug, before turning his attention skyward to check the position of the sun, "We should probably be heading back to the village."

"Ah think we can stay jist a wee bit longer," Merida commented as she pulled herself towards Hiccup, a grin on her face as she leaned in to kiss him, "Daenae ye think?"

"Yeah," Hiccup replied, leaning in towards her, "I guess a little while longer wouldn't hurt."

As the two teens continued to kiss in the placid waters of the small lake, Toothless watched from the shore out of curiosity. As he began to lose interest, he closed his eyes again and turned away, basking in the sun as he began to slowly hum a tune he had heard the redhead sing once before.

A/N: So, as you guys may have guessed, I had a lot of fun with this chapter! Hope you guys liked it too! Shout out to LordsFire for helping me come up with the "science" behind the black rocks! As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome, so please review! Later!


	21. Double Trouble

**Chapter 21: Double Trouble**

Heavy hooves pounded against the ground, sending clumps of earth that had never known a horse's touch flying through the air as Angus raced through the forest, Merida at the reins with Hiccup desperately hung on by wrapping his arms around her stomach. Angus whinnied happily at being able to run free and Merida let out a whoop of joy. Hiccup however, had a pale face, looking entirely uncomfortable with the whole experience.

"Can we, maybe, slow down a little?" Hiccup asked as he tightened his grip on Merida.

"Whit's th' matter?" Merida questioned, glancing over her shoulder to look at Hiccup and flash him a playful smile, "Ye're nae scared are ye?"

"Me? Scared? No," Hiccup replied with a gulp as he glances back down at the earth whizzing past him, "Just not used to being on a horse is all."

"Hiccup, ye rode on a dragon taeday," Merida pointed out as Angus leapt over a fallen tree, almost causing Hiccup to fall off the horse's back, "We flew through th' sky! Are ye really scared o' fallin' off auld Angus here?"

"It's not the fall that worries me," Hiccup answered, sparing another glance at the ground shooting by just beneath him, "It's the landing."

"Ye worry too much," Merida chuckled as she shook her head, "Besides, if we didnae take Angus, we wud be late fer Gobber's lesson."

"We're probably still going to be late," Hiccup pointed out as he looked up at the sky and the sun moving across it.

"Well, even if we are," Merida said gently, turning to look back at him with half-lidded eyes as the village came into view, "Ah think we hae a good reason."

Before Hiccup could say anything, Merida leaned in and pressed her lips to his, a look of shock crossing Hiccup's face before it melted into a goofy smile. As Merida pulled back, she giggled at the smile plastered across Hiccup's face.

"My," Merida whispered, her blush spreading across her cheeks, "Ah cud get use tae 'at."

Hiccup nodded dumbly in response, causing Merida to giggle more before spurring Angus on, the increase in speed causing Hiccup to let out a cry of surprise as he almost fell of the horse's back again, eliciting more laughter from the red haired princess as they raced through the village.

As the arena came into view, Merida and Hiccup could see Astrid sitting on a stool near the entrance, her injured leg propped up on another stool and her arms crossed in front of her chest, her dark blue eyes glaring at everything and nothing. As she noticed the two approaching on the horse's back, she cocked an eyebrow.

"Running a little late, are we?" Astrid observed as Angus came to a stop before her, "Get lost ridding?"

"Saemethin' like 'at," Merida replied neutrally as she dismounted from Angus before helping Hiccup down as a thought occurred to her, "Shudnae ye be inside with th' others?"

"I already know all the stuff he's teaching us," Astrid answered with a shrug, "It's not going to do me any good to watch the rest of you fight a dragon.

"Suite yerself," Merida said with a shrug.

As Hiccup dusted himself off, Merida looked at Angus as a thought occurred to her.

"Damn," Merida swore, "We daenae hae enough time tae get Angus back tae his stable."

"Can't we just leave him out here?" Hiccup suggested, as he glanced quickly at Astrid "He was fine when we were, you know, in the forest."

"He had grass tae munch on oot there," Merida replied, stroking Angus' neck, "Here in th' village, he's likely tae wander off an' then who knows whit trouble he'll get himself intae."

Angus snorted in reply, earning a smirk from Merida. As Merida and Hiccup talked, a thoughtful look crossed Astrid's face as she looked down at the ground. Astrid bit her lip nervously before sighing and turning her attention back to the two other teens.

"I can watch him," Astrid spoke up, causing Merida and Hiccup to turn and look at her in shock.

"Whit?" Merida asked in surprise.

"Leave him with me," Astrid clarified with a shrug, looking away so she didn't have to look the other two in the eye, "I'll make sure that he doesn't wander off."

"Whit are ye tryin' tae dae?" Merida questioned, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I'm trying to do you a favor," Astrid replied in a huff as she turned her gaze back to Merida, narrowing her dark blue eyes.

"Why?" Merida pressed, her suspicion mixing with confusion.

"Come on, Princess, you've saved my life twice now," Astrid explained, "The least I can do is watch your overgrown pony for a little while."

Merida didn't look satisfied with the answer. She looked over at Hiccup for some guidance, but all the young man could offer was a shrug.

"Look," Astrid continued, bringing Merida's attention back to her, "Your horse is like three times my size and I'm laid up with a busted leg. He poses more of a threat to me than I do to him."

This seemed to mollify Merida somewhat, but she still seemed uncertain, biting her bottom lip anxiously.

"Merida, I know I've given you every reason not to trust me," Astrid pressed, ignoring the surprised look Merida shot her as she continued talking, "but believe me, you can trust me with this."

"Alright," Merida said with a nod, a note of hesitation in her voice as she grabbed Angus' reins before slowly handing them over to Astrid, who took them and nodded towards Merida. Nodding back, Merida turned to face Angus.

"Alright, Angus," Merida said with a small grin as she stroked the horse's head, "Ye be good now, ye hear?"

Angus snorted in reply before nuzzling Merida's head, earning a chuckle from the girl.

"Alright, alright," Merida stated as she pushed Angus off and turned her attention towards Hiccup and held out her hand towards him, "Come on, Hic. We daenae want tae be late."

"Right," Hiccup agreed with a small nod as he took Merida's hand with a smile, "Let's go."

As Merida and Hiccup made their way down the short tunnel into the arena, Merida paused and looked back.

"Astrid!" Merida called hesitantly, causing the other girl to glance over her shoulder at the Highlander, "…Thanks."

Astrid replied with a simple wave as she turned back towards the village.

"What was that all about?" Hiccup whispered as he and Merida continued down the tunnel.

"Ah daenae know," Merida replied, sparing another glance in Astrid's direction, "If Ah didnae know any better Ah'd say she was…tryin' tae be nice."

As Merida and Astrid made their way into the arena, Astrid glanced up at Angus, who was looking back at her with his large brown eyes.

"So, what do you think?" Astrid asked the horse, "Good start?"

The horse merely snorted in reply and turned away from her.

"Yeah, well, what do you know?" Astrid groused,

Inside the arena, Hiccup and Merida found Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins standing around Gobber near the center of the arena. Gobber raised his head as they entered and shot them a bemused smile.

"There ye two are," Gobber quipped, "Nice o' ye tae join us."

"Sorry," Merida apologized, "We lost track o' time."

"Ah'm sure ye did," Gobber replied, his smile growing larger as he turned and made his way towards one of the arena walls. As he did, Fishlegs raised an eyebrow at Hiccup who merely shrugged and gave his friend a look that said he would tell him later.

"Now taeday is all aboot teamwork," Gobber explained as he walked back over towards the teens carrying six buckets of water which he placed down before him, "Now Ah'm gaeing tae need ye lot tae break intae teams o' two."

Snotlout and Tuffnut quickly turned to each other before jumping up and bumping their chests against each other's. As they laughed, Merida rolled her eyes at the display before turning to Hiccup. Before she could say anything though, she felt a tap on her shoulder and found Ruffnut standing next to her.

"Hey Red," Ruffnut said with an all too large grin, as she pointed between herself and Merida, "You and me?"

Merida hesitated for a moment and glanced over at Hiccup, who nodded to her encouragingly. Merida took a deep breath before turning back to Ruffnut.

"Sure, Ruff," Merida answered with a slightly weary smile.

"Awesome," Ruffnut said excitedly as she did a fist pump, "We're going to kick so much ass!"

As Ruffnut celebrated, Merida turned to look at Hiccup, shooting him a bemused smile and a helpless shrug. Hiccup shrugged back at her as he smiled before he turned and looked at Fishlegs, raising his fist and bumping it against the other boy's.

"All right, if ye're all paired up, then we can get this started," Gobber stated as he made his way over to one of the heavily barred doors, "Each o' ye grab a bucket. Ye're gaeing tae need them."

Each of the teens quickly grabbed a bucket, sticking close to their partner as Gobber reached up and pulled the release lever. Less than a second later, the heavy door slammed open and a cloud of toxic green, foul-smelling gas came spewing out. The cloud expanded until it covered most of the arena, obscuring the teens view. They listened as something came slithering out, moving through the cloud just out of sight.

"Zippleback," Fishlegs whispered, earning a nod from Hiccup as the two stood back to back, peering into the dense gas, "It has razor sharp serrated teeth that inject venom for pre-digestion. It prefers ambush attacks and crushing its victims with its long tails."

"Lovely," Hiccup sighed as he looked around wearily.

"Th' Hideous Zippleback is an extra tricky dragon," Gobber stated unseen, "It prefers stealth tae a direct attack, an' will anly strike when its prey is most vulnerable."

As Gobber talked, the spreading gas slowly engulfed the teens. As it did, they could hear something moving quickly around them, seemingly circling around them and darting past from every direction.

"A Zippleback has two heads, an' figurin' oot which ane is which is th' key tae defeatin' it," Gobber explained, "Ane spews th' gas, th' other ignites it. A dragon with a wet head cannae use its fire, sae yer job is tae figure oot which head is which."

Merida and Ruffnut stood back to back, their buckets at the ready, doing their best to somehow pin down the location of the dragon hiding in the gaseous fog.

"Alright Ruff," Merida said quietly, trying not to draw the Zippleback's attention, "We need tae keep focused if we're gaein' tae catch this dragon."

"Focused. Got it," Ruff repeated loudly, her eyes darting in every direction, looking for the Zippleback.

"We also hae tae be quiet," Merida continued, "We daenae want it tae find us afore we find it."

"Quiet. Right," Ruff repeated distractedly, not changing the volume of her voice, causing Merida to sigh.

"Most importantly, we hae tae remain-" Merida began but was cut off when Ruff suddenly spun to face a seemingly random direction.

"What was that!?" she screeched as she flung the contents of her bucket into the air, the water sailing through the gas and hitting nothing before splattering across the hard stone floor of the arena.

"…Calm," Merida deadpanned, looking at Ruff in annoyance.

"Oops," Ruffnut said embarrassedly, looking at Merida with a sheepish grin. Merida looked like she was going to say something more but instead shrieked in surprise when she and Ruffnut were suddenly doused with water. Turning, they saw Snotlout and Tuffnut emerging from the gas cloud, each carrying an empty bucket.

"Whit th' bloody Hel was 'at fer!?" Merida demanded angrily.

"We thought you were the dragon," Tuffnut mumbled, looking slightly frightened as Merida and his sister glared at him.

"Do we look like a dragon, idiot!?" Ruffnut asked, holding her arms out in an exasperated gesture.

"Well, you guys do kind of have a sort of dragonesque physique," Snotlout commented, before quickly backpedalling as the girls' glares intensified, "Not that there's anything wrong with-"

Snotlout was interrupted by Ruff hurling her bucket at him, hitting him square in the face and knocking him onto his back.

"Thank ye, Ruff," Merida stated evenly as she continued to glare at Snotlout who was busy trying to pick himself up.

"Don't mention it," Ruffnut replied, waving a hand dismissively at Merida, "But now what do we do?"

"Ah'm thinkin', Ah'm thinkin'," Merida answered, before turning her head upward, "Hiccup! Ye there!?"

"Uh, yeah!" Hiccup replied from somewhere in the gas cloud, "Uh, What's up!?"

"What happened to being quiet?" Ruffnut asked as Snotlout and Tuffnut joined their side.

"Change o' plans," Merida elaborated, "Hiccup! We got tae get oot o' this cloud! Th' Zippleback has too much o' an advantage here!"

As if to prove her point, there was a loud hiss before a long slender tail suddenly whipped out from the gas and tripped the four teens, causing Merida to spill her bucket as she fell to the ground. Ruffnut and Tuffnut groaned in pain as they tried to regain their bearings, before two identical hisses caused them both to pause. Glancing up, each of the twins saw a head floating in front of their faces. The serpentine heads were a yellowish green in color, paler on the bottom then on the top with darker green blotches peppering the scaly skin. They each had forward facing, black on yellow eyes, flanking a pair of narrow nostrils. They had pairs of straight black horns growing out of their heads and a horn on their noses that curled back towards their faces. They mouths were filled with dagger-like teeth, the ones on the bottom jaw longer than those on top and sticking out past their lips. Their long necks disappeared into the cloud of gas, black ridges running down their spines.

"Oh boy," the twins said at the same time as the two heads hissed again in unison, displaying long, red, forked tongues. Merida, watching from the side, gasped as she saw the heads rear back to strike.

"Snotlout!" Merida exclaimed as she reached out and grabbed the back of Ruffnut's shirt.

"I know, I got him!" Snotlout exclaimed as he reached out and grabbed Tuffnut's shirt before dragging him out of the way at the same time Merida pulled Ruffnut to safety. A second later the two heads lashed out, missing the Viking twins by inches and smashing into one another. As the two heads hissed angrily at each other, Merida and Snotlout quickly pulled the twins to their feet and the four of them beat a hasty retreat.

After a few seconds of running, Merida, Snotlout and the twins came stumbling out of the gas cloud, finding Hiccup and Fishlegs standing there, their buckets at the ready.

"You guys okay?" Fishlegs asked.

"Been better," Tuffnut grumbled as they all turned to face the gas cloud.

"Why are you all wet?" Hiccup asked as he looked at Merida with a confused expression.

"Long story," Merida replied, before shooting Hiccup a sly grin, "Besides, earlier ye made it seem like ye liked me when Ah'm all wet."

A bright blush spread across Hiccup's features as he began to say something but was stopped by a loud, dual hiss that emanated from the dispersing gas cloud. A second later, the Zippleback came charging out of the cloud, revealing itself to the teen in all of its terrible glory. The dragon's necks both connected to a large, round body from which four stubby legs sprouted from, each ending in feet that had four sharp grey claws. Green, bat-like wings grew from its shoulders and a long tail grew from the back, splitting half way down into two smaller tails that ended in fins.

"So what's the plan!?" Tuffnut asked as the Zippleback bore down on them.

"We have to figure out which one of the heads is the igniter!" Hiccup stated as the six teens fanned out.

"And how, exactly, do we do that!?" Snotlout inquired as one of the heads lashed out at him, forcing him to dodge out of the way as he drew his mace from his belt.

"Working on that!" Hiccup replied.

As they talked, one of the Zippleback's head turned its attention towards Fishlegs. His eyes widened in surprise and fear as the dragon hissed at him. Taking a step forward, Hiccup heaved the bucket of water at the head, dousing it. The dragon narrowed its eyes as Fishlegs as it opened its mouth, green gas flowing out of its mouth.

"Oh, wrong head," Fishlegs stated with a nervous laugh. Before he could do anything more, the Zippleback screeched at him as it blasted him with the noxious green gas. Fishlegs coughed and gagged on the gas as he stumbled away, the head following him as it prepared to strike.

"Fishlegs!" Hiccup shouted before turning and tossing Snotlout his bucket of water, the other boy managing to catch it after it hit him in the chest.

"What do you want me to do with this!?" Snotlout exclaimed.

"Now, we know which head isn't the ignitor!" Hiccup replied, before pointing towards the other head, "Douse the one that is!"

"What are you going to do!?" Snotlout asked, shifting his grip on the bucket in one hand.

"Run interference!" Hiccup replied before drawing Endeavor from the sheath on his back and turning his attention to the Zippleback head.

As Fishlegs stumbled back, still stunned by the blast of gas, he tripped over an uneven stone, landing hard on his rear. Blinking his eyes clear, Fishlegs let out a cry of surprise as he saw the Zippleback head looming over him, preparing to strike. Before it could, Hiccup leapt between them, swinging his sword threateningly at the Zippleback. The dragon head hissed in anger as it shrank away from the sharp blade. Moving to the side, the Zippleback tried to strike at Hiccup but he slashed at the dragon's head, slicing a shallow cut on the dragon's cheek, causing it to screech in pain as it pulled back, dark green blood oozing out of the wound.

Behind Hiccup, Merida grabbed hold of Fishlegs' arm and helped pull him to his feet.

"Ye okay?" Merida questioned.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Fishlegs replied, waving her off and drawing his hammer from his belt, prompting Merida to unsling her bow, "Caught me off guard is all."

"So, what's the plan?" Ruffnut asked as she ran over to their side while drawing her knife and hatchet.

"Like Hiccup said," Merida replied while notching an arrow and aiming it at the Zippleback head, "We run interference."

With that, Merida released the arrow, the missile glancing off the Zippleback's cheek, causing it to hiss in anger as it turned its attention to her, only for its attention to be brought back to Hiccup as he swung his sword at it again. Taking the cue, Ruffnut and Fishlegs ran at the Zippleback, doing their best to distract the head with attacks of their own.

Meanwhile, Snotlout was doing his best to get closer to the igniter head, but found himself on the defensive as it snapped its jaws at him. Screeching in anger and clicking its jaw in a way that sparks shot out of its mouth, the Zippleback head moved to strike at Snotlout, but was stopped when Ruffnut hopped in between them, armed with his two-headed spear which he used to stab at the dragon head.

"I'm not seeing an opening here!" Snotlout shouted, trying to get closer to the igniter head but unable to due to the Zippleback's quick movements.

"We have to distract them somehow!" Hiccup stated, hoping out of the way of the other head's bite.

"How do we do that!?" Tuffnut asked as he thrust his spear at the igniter head, causing it to hiss at him in anger.

"In th' cloud, we made them bang intae each other an' they seemed tae argue with each other aboot it," Merida stated as she aimed another arrow at the Zippleback head.

"So you think we should get them to hit one another?" Fishlegs asked.

"Sounds good to me!" Hiccup declared, taking another swing at the Zippleback.

"How do we plan on doing that!?" Snotlout asked.

"I've got an idea!" both Ruffnut and Tuffnut declared at the same time before running at their respective Zippleback heads, holstering their weapons and dodging out of the way as the dragon bit at them. Leaping up, they each grabbed one of the dragon's necks, wrapping their arms around the Zippleback's throats as it tried to shake them off. Swinging their legs, the twins managed to pull themselves up onto the back of the dragon's necks, grabbing hold to the spines for stability. As the dragon tried to buck the twins, they made their way up to the dragon's heads, grabbing hold onto their horns once they had reached them.

"You thinking what I'm thinking!?" Ruff shouted to her brother, a wicked grin on her face.

"Oh yeah!" Tuff replied with a half-crazed laugh.

"On three!" they shouted in unison.

"One!" Tuff yelled.

"Two!" Ruff hollered in reply.

"Three!" they screamed in unison before using the Zippleback's horns as leverage to flip over onto the dragon's faces. Grabbing hold of the dragon's nose horns, the twins began making mocking faces and rude gestures as they attempted to insult the Zippleback. Incensed, the Zippleback began to violently shake its heads in an effort to get the twins off.

"Ready!?" Tuff asked, hanging off the Zippleback's nose to look back at his sister.

"You know it!" Ruff answered with a laugh.

"GO!" they shouted in unison, pushing off from the Zippleback's face and flying through the air at each other. Seeing this, both Zippleback heads reared back to strike, venomous teeth bared. As the Zippleback heads lunged at them, the twins reached out and grabbed each other, their opposite momentums stopping them cold and causing them to drop like stones out of the air, out of the path of the attacking dragon heads. Looks of surprised crossed the Zippleback heads before they slammed into one another, their hard heads knocking painfully together. As the twins landed and rolled across the hard stone floor of the arena, the Zippleback heads screeched angrily at one another, hissing and nipping at each other with their teeth.

"There's our chance!" Hiccup exclaimed, pointing at the fighting heads with his sword, "The igniter head is the one without the cut on its cheek!"

While the heads were distracted by their infighting, the teens ran up to the igniter head, leaping up and grabbing its neck, trying to use their bulk to pull it down. The igniter head shrieked in surprise as the teens dragged it down, the gas head looking on in shock. As the igniter head shrieked and struggled to escape the teens' grasps, Snotlout hopped up, ran over to the Zippleback head and slammed the bucket of water on to it, completely dousing the dragon head.

The teens cheered in victory as they moved away from the Zippleback, the igniter head now angrily trying to get the bucket that was wedged onto its face off.

"It worked!" Snotlout cried, almost not believing what had just happened.

"I know!" Hiccup agreed, seemingly equally surprised.

"Now what?" Snotlout said with a laugh.

"Huh?" Hiccup asked, confused by the question.

"We put out the igniter head," Snotlout clarified, his smile falling slightly, "Now what do we do?"

A look of horrified realization passed over Hiccup's face as he turned to look at the Zippleback, just in time to see the igniter head shake off the bucket, sending it flying through the air before breaking into a pile of splinters as it slammed against the ground. It was then that Hiccup realized that even though the Zippleback couldn't ignite its gas, they still had a large, angry, venomous dragon to deal with.

"Move!" Hiccup shouted, shoving Snotlout to the side as one of the Zippleback's heads lunged at them, its teeth slicing through the open air where the cousins had been standing a moment before.

"What do we do now!?" Tuffnut shouted as he and the others scrambled around, desperately trying to avoid the Zippleback as it lashed out at them with teeth, tails and claws.

"I'm working on it!" Hiccup shouted back, just managing to move out of the way as the Zippleback slashed at him with its claws.

"Well work…look out!" Ruff shouted as she tackled Merida as one of the heads lunged at her, the Zippleback just grazing them, the force knocking the two girls to the ground.

"Thanks Ruff," Merdai said, before a worried look crossed her face as she heard Ruffnut let out a hiss of pain. Turning she saw Ruff push herself up into a sitting position, holding her hand up to her cheek, which Merida saw was reddening from blood.

"Ruff, are ye okay?" Merida asked worriedly.

"I don't feel so good," Ruff replied woozily, trying to stand only to fall back to the ground as her knees buckled underneath her. Merida gasped in shock as she rolled Ruffnut over and held the Viking girl's head in her hands. Merida could now see the thin, shallow cut across Ruffnut's cheek while the blonde's eyes fluttered and she mumbled incoherently.

"Ruff, whit's wrong!?" Merida asked, not sure what she should do.

"It's th' Zippleback's venom," Merida heard Gobber say from behind her, moving out of the way as the blacksmith ran over to her and scooped Ruffnut into his arms, "It's debilitatin' an' works incredibly fast."

"Whit do we do?" Merida asked, as she looked at Ruffnut with a frightened expression, oblivious to the boys doing their best not to be struck down by the enraged Zippleback.

"We need tae get her tae Gothi," Gobber said simply, "She has an antidote. But Ah cannae dae 'at with this Zippleback runnin' amuck."

Nodding, Merida turned her attention back to the chaos behind her, pinpointing Hiccup in the madness.

"Hiccup!" she called, causing the young man to jump in surprise as he turned to look at her, "Ruff's been hurt! We hae tae end this quickly sae we can get her tae Gothi!"

"What!?" Tuffnut exclaimed, a panicked look on his face.

"That's a lot easier said than done, Mer!" Hiccup shouted, a note of exasperation in his voice, failing to notice as one of the Zippleback head's turned its attention towards him.

"Hiccup, watch oot!" Merida yelled with a panicked voice, giving Hiccup just enough time to turn around as the Zippleback head plowed into him, the dragon ramming its nose into his stomach, knocking the young man flat and pinning him against the ground. The Zippleback smiled wickedly, taking a sniff with its nose buried in Hiccup's stomach. As it did, its eyes suddenly went wide in shock before abruptly pulling away, shrieking in disgust. Hiccup watched in confusion as the Zippleback head shook back and forth as if trying to remove the offending odor from its nostrils. A look of realization passed over Hiccup's face before he opened his vest, finding the dead eel still stuck inside.

"The eel," Hiccup whispered to himself, "It's not just Toothless. Guys, I've got an idea!"

"What's is it!?" Snotlout asked turning to look at Hiccup just in time for the eel Hiccup threw at him to hit him dead in the face.

"Oh, what the Hel!? Did you just throw an eel at me!? Who does that!?" Snotlout demanded as he angrily pulled the offending eel of his face and shook it at Hiccup.

"The dragon doesn't seem to like it!" Hiccup explained, "Hold it up to one of its faces!"

"Are you serious!?" Snotlout questioned, glancing at the eel before looking at Hiccup like the other boy was crazy.

"Just do it!" Hiccup yelled back.

"Alright, alright!" Snotlout replied before turning his attention to the dragon. Running up to one of the heads, which was currently trying to swallow Tuffnut whole, Snotlout held the eel up to the Zippleback. The Zippleback took a quick sniff of the air before hissing in disgust, turning to look at Snotlout and shrinking away from.

"Seriously!?" Snotlout said in a mixture of joy and astonishment, moving towards the head and forcing the dragon to retreat, "This works!?"

"Snotlout!" Fishlegs shouted from his position near the other head, holding his arms outstretched to the other boy, "Throw me the eel!"

Nodding, Snotlout turned and tossed the eel to Fishlegs, the larger boy grabbing it out of the air before spinning to face the Zippleback head, holding it before him and using it to drive the Zippleback back.

"Over here!" Merida called as she rejoined them, snagging the eel midstride as Fishlegs tossed it to her, using it to drive the Zippleback closer to its pen.

"Eel me! Eel me!" Tuffnut exclaimed, waving his hands in the air until Merida threw him the eel, stopping the Zippleback from biting him.

For the next minute, the teens drove the Zippleback back with the eel, passing between one another as needed. Eventually, they managed to get the dragon all the way back into its pen.

"Chew on that, Stinkbreath!" Tuffnut exclaimed as he tossed the eel into the pen with the Zippleback, causing the dragon to retreat into the far corner of its pen, hissing at the eel as the teens closed and sealed the door.

The teens took a moment to catch their breaths, shooting tired smiles at one another.

"Did we really just use an eel to beat a dragon?" Tuffnut asked disbelievingly.

"Seems like we did," Merida commented, tucking a loose strand of hair back behind her ear.

"Why the Hel did you have that eel with you anyway?" Snotlout questioned.

"I…uh…" Hiccup hesitated trying to find an appropriate answer to the question.

"It was part o' our lunch!" Merida interjected, a forced smile on her face, "We cudnae finish all th' food so Hiccup stuck it in his pocket fer later. Ne'er occurred tae us 'at th' dragon wudnae like it."

"All these new dragon-related discoveries are great an' all but right now, we hae tae get Ruff tae Gothi's," Gobber stated as he began to hobble towards the exit, the teens quickly following him as they remembered the gravity of the situation.

"Ah'll take her!" Merida shouted as she darted ahead, "Angus is here waitin' with Astrid, he can carry her faster than ye cud, Gobber."

"Aye," Gobber agreed, as the group exited the tunnel, causing Astrid to sit up straight and look at them in surprise, "Sounds like a good idea."

"W-What's going on?" Astrid asked as Merida snatched the reins from her hand and hopped up onto Angus' back, her eyes focused on Ruffnut, "What's wrong with Ruff?"

"She got scratched by the Zippleback's tooth," Tuffnut explained gravely, his eyes not leaving his sister's form, "She got some of the venom in her."

"A scratch did that!?" Astrid asked in astonishment.

"Yeah, I don't want to think about what a full bite would have done," Snotlout mused.

"Trust me," Gobber said as he placed Ruffnut in front of Merida so she could hold the half-conscious girl up as she rode, "It's nae pretty."

"Sun above," Merida whispered as she looped her arms around Ruffnut, "She feels like she's on fire."

"We daenae hae any time tae lose then," Gobber stated gravely, "Now get gaein'!"

"Come on, Angus!" Merida called as she spurred the horse onwards, sending the Clydesdale into a full gallop through the village.

"Is…Is she going to be okay?" Astrid asked, clearly worried but trying to hide it.

"It was jist a small scratch sae anly a little venom cud hae gotten intae th' wound," Gobber explained, watching Merida, Ruffnut and Angus disappear around a corner, "Certainly naethin' Gothi cannae handle. We'll hae tae wait an' see though."

"Screw that," Tuffnut spoke up as he began to jog in the direction Merida and his sister had went, "She's my sister, I'm not going to stand around and wait to see if she's okay."

Pausing, Tuffnut turned and looked over his shoulder at the others.

"Are you guys with me?" Tuffnut questioned.

Snotlout nodded without hesitation.

"Yeah, I'm with you man," he said as he began to jog to catch up with Tuffnut.

"I'm in too," Hiccup stated, turning to look at Fishlegs, "You coming, bud?"

"Yeah, I'm coming," Fishlegs agreed as he began to walk with Hiccup.

"So am I," Astrid stated as she forced herself to her feet and grabbed her crutch before limping along behind them.

"Ye lot gae on ahead," Gobber said, waving them off, "Ah hae some cleanin' up Ah need tae dae."

The teens nodded and began to make their way towards Gothi's. Tuffnut and Snotlout wasted no time in running ahead, but Hiccup and Fishlegs hung back to keep pace with Astrid.

"You need some help, Astrid?" Hiccup asked, looking at the girl in concern as she struggled to keep moving forward. She had clearly healed a bit already but the long walk across the village and up the cliffs to Gothi's home was taking its toll on her.

"No," she growled stubbornly, her brow dotted with sweat, "I don't need help."

Hiccup shared a worried glance with Fishlegs but the two young men said nothing as they continued walking with Astrid trailing behind. With each step, Astrid grew more and more frustrated. Gritting her teeth, she glanced at the boys, to where she knew Gothi's house was, then back to the boys. Finally, scrunching her eyes closed as sweat began to drip down her face, she tossed the crutch aside while making a noise that sounded like the combination of a snarl and a shriek. Fishlegs and Hiccup stopped dead in their tracks, spinning around to look at Astrid in surprise.

"Is…uh…everything alright, Astrid?" Fishlegs asked nervously.

"Carry me," Astrid said simply, glaring at Fishlegs as she held her hands outstretched towards him.

"Excuse me?" Hiccup said in mute shock.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Astrid snapped at Hiccup, causing him to take a few steps away from her in fear as she turned her attention back to Fishlegs, never dropping her outstretched arms, "If we keep going like we're going, we won't make it to Gothi's before night fall, assuming I just don't collapse in the street before we make it."

Taking a calming breath, she continued in a more even tone.

"So Fishlegs, that's why I need you," she took another calming breath as she squeezed her eyes closed, "To carry me."

Hiccup and Fishlegs said nothing, just staring at Astrid in shock, sparing only a moment to glance at one another before looking back at Astrid.

"Well?" Astird said impatiently, flexing her fingers in a "hurry up" motion.

"Are you…sure about this, Astrid?" Fishlegs questioned, looking at the girl with an uncertain expression.

"Fishlegs," she growled threateningly, "If you don't pick me up in the next ten seconds, I'm going to use my crutch to beat you black and blue and then Hiccup can drag both of our worthless carcasses to Gothi's. Understand!?"

Fishlegs nodded rapidly as the blood left his face before he quickly jogged over to her. He stood next to her for a few moments, fussing with his hands as he tried to decide what the best way to pick her up was.

"Just pick me up!" she shouted at him to jump in fear and surprise before he reached down and scooped her up bridal-style. Wordlessly, Hiccup walked over and picked up Atrid's discarded crutch before the three of them began making their way towards Gothi's again.

"I swear if either of you breathes a word before we get there, I'll rip your heads off," Astrid growled as she crossed her arms, her bravado somewhat undercut by the blush spreading across her features.

A few minutes later, they came jogging up to Gothi's hut, which sat directly next to the large and ancient form of the village temple. It was a squat building, made out of stone and dark wood, two bronze braziers sat flanking the large, double doors, the burning flames illuminating the carving of a great tree on the doors.

Snotlout and Merida stood flanking the entrance to Gothi's hut, Snotlout leaning against the wall with his arms crossed while Merida stood nervously petting Angus's snout. They both looked up as the others approached, Merida raising a confused eyebrow while Snotlout smirked and chuckled.

"You working as Astrid's horse now, Fishlegs?" Snotlout quipped, causing Fishlegs to sigh and roll his eyes in annoyance as he came to a stop and set Astrid down. As soon as she was on her feet, Astrid surprised everyone by spinning around and decking Snotlout, knocking him to the ground as she glared at him.

"Ow!" Snotlout groaned, rubbing his jaw as he glared at Astrid, "What the Hel was that for?"

"For being an ass," Astrid replied as she held her hand out to Hiccup without looking at him, taking her crutch as he handed it to her.

"What, do you got a thing for him now or something?" Snotlout asked as he picked himself up, only to let out another cry of pain as Astrid punched him again, knocking him back down, "Okay, I'll be quiet now."

Giving a satisfied nod, Astrid turned to look at Merida.

"How is she?" Astrid asked neutrally.

"She's gaein' tae be okay," Merida said, and even though Astrid tried not to show it, the redhead could see the relief that swept over the blonde, "Gothi needed room tae work, sae she only let Tuffnut stay inside while she administered th' antidote."

As she said that, Tuffnut stuck his head out of the door, catching all of their attentions.

"Hey guys, Gothi's done in here and Ruff's coming around if any of you wanted to come in," Tuff explained before standing aside to let the others come in. Gothi's small hut was indeed crowded as the teens circled around the bed Ruffnut was laying, making sure to leave room for the short, old woman who was still tending to the blonde.

"Hey guys," Ruffnut greeted groggily, "Some day huh?"

"You can say that again," Astrid chuckled, "Seems like these training lessons are getting crazier every day."

"I hear that," Ruff replied, touching the bandage that Gothi had put on her cheek, "So Tuff was telling me you guys beat the Zippleback with an eel?"

"Really?" Astrid questioned looking at the others in surprise.

"Yeah, crazy, huh?" Hiccup asked, "Apparently dragons, or at least you know, Zippleback's don't like them."

"Weird," Ruff replied while shaking he head.

"Hey Ruff," Merida spoke up, "Ah hope ye daenae mind me askin' but how did ye an' Tuff dae all 'at stuff in th' arena?"

"Our dad's a woodsman by trade" Ruff explained, "Hunting, foraging, trapping, that kind of stuff. Me and Tuff spent a lot of time in the woods growing up, climbing trees and stuff like that."

"Yeah, if you think that move we pulled on the dragon was cool, you should see it done against a pack of pissed off squirrels," Tuffnut added, earning a laugh from the others.

"You should be good to go home now, child," Gothi spoke up as she handed Ruffnut a bottle of blue liquid, "Take some of that if you feel any of the symptoms come back."

"Thanks, Gothi," Ruffnut thanked the old woman.

"Think nothing of it," Gothi replied, waving her hand dismissively, "As for that bandage, it should be fine to take it off tomorrow, though the wound will have likely left a scar."

"You did say you wanted a scar, Ruff," Astrid pointed out.

"Yeah, and facial scares are the best," Ruffnut agreed, clearly pleased by the news.

"All right, off you all go," Gothi said, beckoning the teens to leave her home, "Time to leave an old woman to her peace and quiet."

The teens nodded and agreed, bidding Gothi goodbye as they left. As Astrid turned to leave, she felt Gothi's hand on her arm and turned to look down at the elder in confusion.

"Perhaps now is a good time," Gothi suggested as she glanced over at Merida, who was chatting amicably with Ruffnut. Astrid looked at Merida for a few moments, biting her bottom lip nervously before nodding her head.

"Alright," Astrid said with a nod, earning a pat on the arm from Gothi as the Viking girl began to limp over to Merida.

"Hey Merida!" Astrid called, stopping the Highlander who had begun to walk away with Hiccup, Angus and Fishlegs, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

Merida glanced at Hiccup who merely shrugged in reply.

"Uh sure, Astrid, Ah guess," Merida replied uncertainly as she turned to face the other girl, shrugging her shoulders as she did.

As Merida approached her, Astrid noticed Hiccup and Fishlegs waiting a few feet away. Astrid managed to catch Fishlegs' eye, giving him a pleading look to which Fishlegs responded with a nod.

"We'll let you girls talk," Fishlegs said as he took Hiccup by the shoulders and began to lead him away, "We'll go talk about…guy stuff."

"Guy stuff?" Hiccup questioned, clearly not buying what his friend was saying.

"Just shut up and walk," Fishlegs mumbled while giving Hiccup a light shove, sending his friend stumbling back towards the village as he followed. Looking over his shoulder, Fishlegs gave Astrid a quick wink, to which she gave him a small smile.

"So, uh, whit did ye want tae talk aboot?" Merida questioned patting Angus' neck as the horse fed on the sparse grass surrounding Gothi's hut.

"Well, I didn't really want to talk," Astrid explained as she hobbled over to, and then sat on a nearby rock, "It's more I wanted to…wanted to…"

"Wanted tae…whit?" Merida pressed, raising an eyebrow at Astrid.

"I wanted to…" Astrid closed her eyes in frustration before sighing, "Apologize."

"Apologize…fer whit, exactly?" Merida questioned hesitantly, crossing her arms as she watched Astrid wearily.

"Everything, really," Astrid admitted with a shrug, "I haven't exactly been the nicest person to you."

"Really?" Merida asked neutrally.

"What?" Astrid questioned, caught off guard by what Merida had said.

"Oh, Ah was jist wonderin' if 'at's how ye're actually gaein' tae put it, because, if sae, it's th' understatement o' th' bloody century!" Merida spat angrily.

"Look, I'm trying to apologize here," Astrid shot back, her anger rising.

"Oh, good fer ye!" Merida replied sarcastically, "Ye finally figured oot 'at all Ah needed tae hear ye say was ye're sorry an' Ah'd ferget all aboot how ye insulted me. How ye tormented me! How ye broke th' bow ma father gave tae me an' attacked me with a knife!"

"Like you're any better!?" Astrid snapped, unable to control herself, "I seem to recall you trying to kill Hiccup the first day you met him!"

"Really?" Merida asked incredulously, "Ye're really gaein' tae try an' compare th' situations!? Let's get some facts straight then, shall we, lassie? Whit Ah did was fueled by panic an' fear. Ah thought Ah was aboot tae be trapped in a loveless marriage surrounded by people who hated me, which ye did a lovely job o' reinforcin', by th' way. Ah acted on instinct an' Ah acted rashly. Daenae gae getting' me wrong, this daesnae justify whit Ah did. Ah'm damn lucky 'at Hiccup is th' type o' man who can fergive saemethin' as atrocious as whit Ah did, an' even then th' guilt still eats at me sometimes, thinkin' aboot whit Ah cud hae lost an' nae known it."

A look of sadness passed over Merida's features but it was quickly replaced with one of anger as she pointed a finger at Astrid.

"But ye daenae hae 'at excuse," Merida growled, taking a step towards Astrid and noticing the other girl's glare falter, "Ye an' Ah were at each others' throats multiple times an' ye knew whit ye were daein' each an' every time. Ye werenae lashing oot in anger or fear or anythin' like 'at. Ye were vindictive, full o' purpose an' hate. An' fer whit? Fer whit?"

Astrid didn't reply, looking down at the ground as Merida walked over and leaned down so their faces were level.

"Because yer father was killed in an invasion o' ma homeland, by ane o' ma people," Merida continued, "Nae murdered. Killed. In an invasion. A war yer people started in th' first place. An' he was killed nae by ma father, nae anyone Ah'm related tae, nae anyane Ah even know, a complete stranger who jist sae happened tae share ma homeland an', fer all either o' us know, died moments after he killed yer father. An' yet, ye decided 'at Ah'm th' ane 'at needs tae be punished."

Merida paused for a moment, silently glaring at Astrid, who continued to look at the ground.

"Ah daenae think Ah've ever heard saemethin' sae petty," Merida growled, "But Ah guess Ah shudnae be surprised, after all, ye're th' most petty, self-centered person 'at Ah've ever met. Ah know 'at Ah've been guilty o' bein' extremely selfish in th' past, but ne'er cud Ah hae imagined 'at someone cul care sae little fer other people, especially when they're sae hung up over th' loss o' a loved one."

"You don't know me," Astrid snapped, looking up and meeting Merida's glare.

"Ye're right, Ah daenae know ye," Merida agreed, "Sae all Ah hae tae gae on is how Ah've seen ye act. An' based on 'at, ye daenae care aboot anyane, nae even yer sae called friends."

"Don't you dare say that!" Astrid shouted at Merida, but the other girl remained unmoved.

"Why nae?" Merida questioned, "Ye've expressed naethin' but disdain fer Hiccup an' Fishlegs. Ye cannae seem tae stand bein' around Tuffnut an' Snotlout, despite hangin' oot with them all th' time. Ah guess ye must feel saemethin' fer Ruff, probably saemethin' like a favorite pet, right?"

"How dare you!" Astrid shouted, pushing herself to her feet and grabbing Merida by her vest, ignoring the pain in her foot.

"Face it, Astrid," Merida spat, taking Astrid by the wrists and pulled the Viking girl's hands off of her, "Ye're a shallow, petty person, an' it's gaein' tae take a lot more than some half assed apology tae convince me ye're anythin' more than 'at."

With that, Merida turned and grabbed Angus' reins before she began to walk away. Astrid glared at her as she watched Merida leave. Her fists clenched and shaking in rage, Astrid began to lip after Merida.

"Get back here!" Astrid shouted at Merida as she chased after her, "Damnit, I said get back here!"

Merida continued walking, only stopping when she heard Astrid fall down behind her.

"Damnit!" Astrid screamed in frustration, sitting on the ground on her hands and knees, her eyes closed in annoyance and pain.

"Are…Are ye okay?" Merida asked, concern leaking into her voice as she turned to look at the other girl.

"I'm fine," Astrid said dismissively, leaning back on her knees as she continued to glare at the ground, quickly wiping at the edges of her eyes to remove the tears forming there.

"Here," Merida said leaning down and offering Astrid her hand, "Let me help ye."

"Why would you want to help me?" Astrid questioned, not looking at Merida, "You hate me."

The words seemed to resonate inside Merida for a few moments before let out a sigh.

"Ah've ne'er been ane tae keep ma temper, Astrid," Merida sighed, "Ah think Ah've said some thin's jist now 'at Ah didnae really mean."

"I think you meant it plenty," Astrid replied, still looking down at her knees.

"Maybe a little," Merida admitted, kneeling on the ground with Astrid, "But Ah cud hae worded it better."

Astrid said nothing as she continued to look down at her knees.

"'At comment aboot ye an' Ruff was oot o' line," Merida continued, "Ah can tell from whit ye did taeday 'at ye care a lot aboot her."

"She's…She's my best friend," Astrid said quietly, a sad look crossing her face, "She's my only friend. You weren't far off the mark when you said I can't stand the others. For a long time I couldn't. I still really can't when it comes to Snotlout and sometimes Tuffnut. Hiccup's growing on me though."

"An' Fishlegs?" Merida asked with a small grin.

"What about Fishlegs?" Astrid asked evasively, causing Merida's grin to grow slightly even though she let the point go. The two sat in silence for a few moments before Astrid sighed.

"I really am sorry," Astrid stated.

"Ah understand," Merida replied with a nod, "Jist as Ah'm sure ye understand why Ah'm nae quick tae fergive ye."

Astrid nodded in reply, her dark blue eyes falling again.

"Th' sad part is 'at on 'at first night Ah was here, 'at first time we met," Merida said sadly, "Ah really thought there was a chance we cud be friends."

"That's the worst part," Astrid agreed with a nod, "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately and I feel that, if things had been different, we really could have been friends."

Merida sighed sadly before a thoughtful look crossed her face.

"Maybe we still can," Merida stated.

"How so?" Astrid asked with a disbelieving laugh, "We've got a pretty bad history."

"Then let's get rid o' it," Merida said simply.

"What do you mean?" Astrid questioned, raising an eyebrow at Merida.

"We start over. Ferget all th' history," Merida explained, "We both seem tae think we cud be friends without our history, sae let's get rid o' it an' start fresh."

"Just like that?" Astrid questioned, crooking an eyebrow at Merida.

"Jist like 'at," Merida repeated with a nod, "Let's start with introductions."

Merida held out her hand for Astrid to shake.

"Merida O'Dunbroch," Merida stated, looking at Astrid expectantly. Astrid looked at the hand for a few moments before a small smile spread across her face.

"Astrid Hofferson," Astrid replied, grasping Merida's hand and shaking it firmly.

"Good tae meet ye, Astrid," Merida said with a smile of her own, standing up while still holding Astrid's hand, "Can Ah help ye up?"

"Sure," Astrid answered, holding Merida's hand as the other girl pulled her to her feet, "Thanks."

"Daenae mention it," Merida replied as she let go of Astrid's hand, "Ye need help gettin' home?"

"No," Astrid answered, shaking her head with a smile, "I think I'll walk."

With that, Astrid let go of Merida's hand before turning and starting to walk away. At first, she was limping badly and Merida was worried that Astrid was going to fall again. However, after Astrid paused to take a deep, calming breath, she visibly relaxed before continuing on. As Astrid walked, her gait seemed to return to normal, up to the point that if Merida couldn't see the bandage on the blonde's foot, she'd think the other girl wasn't injured at all.

"See ye taemorrow, Astrid!" Merida called to the other girl, a small smile on her face.

"See you tomorrow, Merida," Astrid replied, glancing over her shoulder and giving the redhead a small wave. As Astrid turned back to keep walking, she caught a glimpse of someone watching her from Gothi's hut. Turning to look, Astrid saw Gothi watching her with a smile on her face. Astrid returned the smile before continuing on, not watching as Gothi turned and made her way back into her home, picking up Astrid's discarded crutch as she went.

A/N: Boy this one really got away from me. I just kept finding more and more scenes that fit perfectly together that I just couldn't stop! I'm sure you guys don't mind though, everyone likes long chapters after all! I had a lot of fun with this chapter; I hope you guys liked it too! As always feedback and criticism is always welcome so please review! Later!


	22. You Scratch My Back

**Chapter 22: You Scratch My Back**

After her talk with Astrid, Merida led Angus through the village to the smithy, where she knew she would find Hiccup and Fishlegs. Tying Angus to a post outside, Merida walked inside, finding Fishlegs and Hiccup chatting as the smaller boy was igniting the furnace.

"So…it's dragon dung?" Hiccup questioned, a perplexed look on his face as he pushed down on the bellows.

"Pretty much, yeah," Fishlegs replied with a nod.

"Whit kind o' conversation did Ah jist walk intae?" Merida questioned, a perplexed look on her face as she closed the smithy door behind her.

"Fishlegs apparently ran into Hilde in the woods today," Hiccup explained as he moved away from the bellows, "Remember those black, exploding rocks from the cove?"

"Aye," Merida replied, still not understanding as she walked over to one of the work benches and leaned against it.

"Well, turns out that is actually hardened dragon dung," Hiccup stated with a bemused smile on his face, "It burst into flame like that because of how their stomachs work and what they eat,"

There was a moment of silence as Merida simply stared at Hiccup, her mind digesting the information she had been given.

"'At's both fascinatin' an' disgustin' at th' same time," she finally said after a moment.

"That pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter too," Hiccup replied with a snort of laughter, "Though I'm still interested in what they can do. Especially the way Hilde said they could be ground up into a powder."

"Whit are ye plannin', Hic?" Merida asked with a sly grin.

"About that? I don't know yet," Hiccup said as he walked over to his design desk and grabbed some sheets of parchment, "I have been drawing up some other ideas though."

Hiccup walked over to his work bench and laid one of the parchments down, allowing Merida and Fishlegs to look at it. On the parchment was drawn the rough sketch of what appeared to be a smaller version of the ballista that Hiccup had used to shoot down Toothless.

"What's that?" Fishlegs questioned, raising an eyebrow as he looked over the designs.

"It's an idea I've been working on," Hiccup explained, "A bow that holds the string for me like Merida suggested."

"It looks like th' ballista," Merida commented, "Except it's kind o' cross shaped."

"Yeah, I think it will work best that way," Hiccup elaborated, "I was thinking of calling it a crossbow."

"Ah like th' sound o' 'at," Merida stated with a smile.

"Thanks," Hiccup replied as he took the other parchment he had and laid it down in front of them. On it was the sketch of an oddly large saddle.

"Is that saddle for Toothless?" Fishlegs questioned.

"Yeah," Hiccup answered, "I learned after riding on Angus with Mer that it really helps to have a saddle to stay on what you want to ride's back, whether that'd be a horse…"

"Or a dragon," Merida finished with a knowing grin.

"Exactly," Hiccup replied with a matching grin, "So, what do you guys say?"

Fishlegs and Merida looked at each other before smiling at Hiccup.

"Where do we start?" Fishlegs asked.

_Later,_

The next day, Hiccup, Merida and Fishlegs made their way to the cove where Toothless was. Toothless seemed much more at ease as the three teens approached him, Fishlegs carrying another basket of fish while Merida and Hiccup carried the large leather saddle they had all made the night before. Seeing the saddle seemed to spook Toothless and before Fishlegs could offer up the fish, the Night Fury went sprinting away, forcing the teens to go chasing after him.

After a few minutes, they were able to catch Toothless and coax the Night Fury into allowing them to latch the saddle to his back as he ate the fish they had gotten for him. As they placed the saddle on Toothless, they also tied a long length of rope to the mechanical fin on the Night Fury's tail.

It took them a little bit more coaxing to get Toothless to allow Hiccup onto his newly saddled back, but as Hiccup pulled open the mechanical fin with the rope, a look of elation passed over Toothless' face.

"I think it's working!" Hiccup called, glancing over his shoulder at his friends before Toothless shot into the air with a flap of his wings, creating a gust of wind that forced Merida and Fishlegs to take a step back as their hair was blown back.

"Yeah," Fishlegs said with a smile as he readjusted his helmet, "I'd say it's working."

As Toothless and Hiccup flew over the surface of the lake, a look of elation passing over the young man's face. Seeing the rock wall of the cove approaching rapidly, Hiccup pulled on the rope to get Toothless to turn to the left. However, though the action got Toothless to turn, Hiccup's momentum continued to carry him forward, sending him squirming through the air as Toothless went spiraling down towards the surface of the lake, both of them crashing into the water with a splash.

"Well, ye figured oot th' saddle was important," Merida quipped as she and Fishlegs fished Hiccup out of the lake, "Now ye jist got tae learn how tae stay in it."

_Later,_

Standing in the smithy, Hiccup took the metal clip tied to the short length of tough rope and connecting it to the metal loop he and the others had built into the saddle. The other end had been attached to the thick leather belt he was wearing around his waist. He gave it a quick tug to test it before looking at Merida, who was sitting on the nearby workbench, smiling in satisfaction.

"'At ought tae keep ye in th' saddle," Merida commented with a grin.

"Hopefully," Hiccup replied before unhooking the rope from the saddle. As he did, he looked around the smithy in confusion.

"Where's Fishlegs?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

As if on cue, Fishlegs suddenly came bursting into the smithy, a large black rock in his hand, the dust from which covered his arm and his cheeks and a half crazed look in his eyes.

"Here's one of the rocks you wanted," Fishlegs stated as he put the rock down on the other work bench before pointing a blackened finger at Hiccup, "You are never allowed to ask where I found it or how I got it."

Merida and Hiccup shared a quick look before smiling nervously at Fishlegs.

"Uh, sure bud," Hiccup stated awkwardly, "Whatever you say. Thanks."

Fishlegs nodded before turning to walk away.

"I need a bath," he mumbled, closing the door behind him, leaving Hiccup and Merida to share a long, confused look in silence.

_The next day_,

Hiccup and Toothless flew around the cove, the harness Hiccup had created keeping him firmly in the saddle. He and the others had decided that it might be easier for Hiccup to control the tail fin if they tied the rope to Hiccup's foot. Giving it a tug, Hiccup sent the Night Fury higher. As they flew, Hiccup's foot accidentally slipped and he ended up accidentally sending Toothless flying back towards the ground where they came to a bumbling landing in a field of tall, yellowish grass.

"Hiccup!" Merida exclaimed as she and Fishlegs made their way up to the field where the boy and the dragon had landed. As they came over the ridge and made their way through the tall grass, they found Hiccup standing in a clearing, watching Toothless as the Night Fury rolled around in the grass that had been flattened by their landing, looking like he was having the time of his life.

"Whit's he daein'?" Merida questioned, a confused look on her face.

"Haven't the foggiest," Hiccup replied, still watching Toothless roll around in the grass.

"Seems like he really like this grass," Fishlegs commented as he reached down and picked up a handful of the plant, "It looks like sweetgrass. My mom likes to put it in her food."

"Might as well change its name tae dragonnip with th' way he's actin'," Merida commented, earning confused looks from the boys, "Ye know? Like catnip."

"What's catnip?" Hiccup questioned.

"'At's right, ye guys daenae really dae normal pets round here," Merida said with a sigh, "Catnip is a plant 'at has th' same effect on cats as this grass seems tae hae on Toothless."

"So, it affects all cats?" Fishlegs asked.

"As far as Ah know," Merida replied with a shrug.

"I wonder if this affects all dragons?" Fishlegs mused as he looked down at the grass in his hand.

_Later_,

That afternoon, Gobber had decided to give the teens another go at the Gronkle, which was currently angrily buzzing around the arena. As the other teens did their best to stay out of the way of the incensed dragon, Astrid stood next to Gobber and watched the others, her leg strong enough to stand and walk on but not healed enough yet to handle the rigors of running and jumping.

As the Gronkle swung low, it slammed head first into Snotlout, launching the young man into the air and sending him crashing to the arena floor, where he lay on his back and groaned in pain. Turning from Snotlout, the Gronkle's eyes narrowed as it saw Fishlegs. Growling angrily, the Gronkle began to charge at Fishlegs whose eyes widened in surprise.

"Fishlegs!" Astrid called out in alarm, "Look out!"

Thinking quickly, Fishlegs reached into his pocket and pulled out the handful of sweetgrass he had taken from earlier. As the Gronkle lowered its head to ram into him, Fishlegs held the grass out in front of him as he squeezed his eyes closed. When the Gronkle got close enough, it took an unintentional sniff of the air. Catching wind of the grass, the Gronkle's eyes went wide as it buzzed to a stop, slumping against the ground as it pressed its nose to the grass in Fishlegs' hand. Opening his eyes, Fishlegs couldn't help but smile at the Gronkle's reaction and began to rub the grass on the dragon's nose, eliciting a purr of contentment from the creature.

Looking around, Fishlegs found everyone staring astonished at him, except for Hiccup and Merida, who had grins on their faces.

"Fishlegs," Astrid said as she and the others walked over, looking at the Gronkle in surprise as it continued to lie purring on the ground, "How did you do that?"

"Well, you guys remember the effect the eel had on the Zippleback?" Fishlegs questioned, earning nods from the others, "I figured if there were smells dragons don't like, maybe there were ones they do."

"Guess you were right," Astrid stated, glancing at the Gronkle with a smirk, "Why sweetgrass?"

"There was a bunch at my house and it's called sweetgrass for a reason, right?" Fishlegs lied with a shrug, "I figured it was worth a shot."

"You're something else, Fishlegs," Astrid said with a smile and a shake of her head. Smiling, Fishlegs looked over at Hiccup and Merida who shared a conspiratorial grin with him.

_The next day,_

Merida sat on a rock in the cove, looking bored as she watched Hiccup taking measurements of Toothless and doing calculations in his head. Sighing, she took one of the arrows and began to play with it idly, looking at the designs on the arrowhead. As she twirled the arrow in her hand, the rays of the midday sun reflected off the metal arrowhead, creating a spot of bright light on the ground.

Glancing over, Toothless spotted the light on the ground, causing his eyes to go wide and his ears to prick up. Leaping to his feet, Toothless knocked Hiccup to the side as he tried to leap onto the light. A look of surprise crossed Merida's face as she looked at the Night Fury in front of her, her expression turning to one of bemusement as Toothless looked at the light in confusion, seemingly not understanding why he couldn't pin the light under his paws.

Turning the arrowhead slightly, Merida caused the spot of light to jump to the side. Toothless whipped his head around to follow the spot of light, which Merida was making dance across the ground. Toothless lunged at the spot of light, but Merida made sure it was always just out of the Night Fury's reach. Merida giggled to herself as she watched Toothless spin in circles in his vain attempt to capture the speck of light, Hiccup and Fishlegs watching with bemused expressions.

_Later_,

"Now, taeday," Gobber addressed the teenagers from his position near one of the large wooden doors in the arena, "Ye'll be dealin' with th' Terrible Terror."

As he spoke, he pulled on the release lever for the door, only for a dragon no bigger than a cat crawled out of a small swinging door built into the larger door. It was light green in color with a white underbelly and yellowish green, bat-like wings. Its bulging yellow eyes looked around wildly, its tail wagging behind it, the red ridges on its back swaying with every movement. It looked up at the teens and squeaked, showing its toothless mouth.

"Are you kidding!?" Tuffnut laughed as he pointed his spear at the Terror, "It's smaller than my-"

Tuffnut was interrupted when the Terror let out a screech and leapt at the young man latching onto Tuffnut's nose with its beak-like mouth and scratching at his face with its red claws. The others watched with mixtures of surprise and amusement as the tiny dragon tried to maul Tuffnut, who screamed rather pathetically as he tried to get the creature off.

An idea coming to her, Merida drew an arrow out of her quiver before angling it so the arrowhead caught the light of the sun, creating a spot of bright light that quickly caught the Terror's attention. Jumping off Tuffnut's face and allowing the blonde boy to roll away, the Terror chased after the light as Merida directed it back towards the small door it had come through. Aiming the light at the door, Merida tricked the Terror into jumping at it, sending the dragon tumbling back into its cage, which Hiccup quickly sealed behind it.

Turning, Merida smiled at the teens who were gawking at her.

"Ah used tae dae 'at tae th' cats in th' castle back home all th' time," Merida explained with a chuckle, "Works like a charm."

The others laughed at what had just happened as Merida, Hiccup and Fishlegs shared a look.

_The next day_,

"Taeday," Gobber's voice boomed off of the surrounding stonework of the arena, "Ye will be facin' ane o' th' most fearsome dragons 'at we know o'."

The seven teenagers stood in the center of the arena as usual, each with weapons drawn and those who could had shields at the ready. Astrid stood near the center, the bandages on her foot were gone but it was clear that she still favored her uninjured side. Glancing up, she saw Gothi watching them along with a handful of other villagers milling about in the stands above. As Astrid caught the elders eye Gothi smiled gently at her, causing the young girl to smile back.

"Why are all these people here?" Snotlout asked as he looked at the villagers in the stands, which included a large number of children watching with wide, excited eyes, "We're just training."

"Gobber runs a pretty intense dragon training class," Astrid replied with a shrug, "I mean I don't think I've ever heard of other trainers using dragons like he has and how often do you get to see someone fight a dragon without worrying about running for your life? What would you rather do, chop wood or watch us fight a dragon?"

"Fair enough," Snotlout replied with a smirk and a nod.

As Fishlegs' eyes drifted through the crowd they came to a sudden stop as they fell on someone who made his face pale and his pupils to go wide.

"Oh no," he muttered, frozen stock still.

"What is it?" Hiccup questioned as he and Merida followed his gaze.

"It's my mom," Fishlegs answered as they caught sight of Ribbon Ingerman standing by the wall separating the wall separating the arena from the stands, elbowing two villagers out of the way before hanging over the wall and waving enthusiastically at Fishlegs.

"Fishlegs!" Ribbon called, an enthusiastic smile on her face, "Up here! Hi!"

"Hi Mom," Fishlegs replied weakly, giving her a small wave and a half-hearted smile, his face reddening from embarrassment. Snotlout and the twins let out small laughs and Astrid shot him a smile that was a mixture of amusement and sympathy. Hiccup chuckled as he patted Fishlegs on the shoulder, while Merida looked on with an expression that suggested she found the whole affair adorable.

"I came to watch you and your friends fight the dragon!" Ribbon continued, oblivious to her son's embarrassment as she turned her attention towards Hiccup, "Hi Hiccup!"

"Hi, Mrs. Ingerman," Hiccup replied politely as he waved back, "It's good to see you again."

"Good mornin', Mrs. Ingerman," Merida greeted the older woman happily, causing the woman to jump in surprise.

"Oh, hello Princess!" Ribbon replied breathlessly as she quickly adjusted her straw blonde hair to appear more presentable, "I hope you are having a good morning as well."

"Ah ne'er did get tae thank ye fer ma new clothes," Merida stated as she grabbed her vest and held it open, showing the clothes that Ribbon had made for her.

"Oh, it was no trouble at all, Princess," Ribbon replied, blushing under the praise, "Do you like them?"

"Ah love them," Merida replied, doing a quick twirl that caused Hiccup to chuckle while Astrid to smirk and roll her eyes, "Thank ye again."

"Really, it was my pleasure," Ribbon replied giddily before turning her attention back to Fishlegs, "Sweetie, I'm going to go sit down now. Good luck!"

"Thanks Mom," Fishlegs replied, giving a halfhearted wave before sighing as Ribbon turned away.

"She seems…" Merida trailed off as she playfully pondered the word she wanted to use "Enthusiastic."

"That's my mom," Fishlegs answered with a sigh and a smile, "You like teasing her? She'll never get over the fact that a princess talked to her."

"A wee bit," Merida replied jovially, holding her thumb and pointer finger close together to emphasis her point.

"I thought you hated all of that princess stuff," Hiccup commented.

"It comes in handy saemetimes," Merida replied with a smirk and a shrug.

Gobber loudly cleared his voice to bring everyone's attention back to him.

"Alright, if everyane is done chattin'," he said, pausing to give Hiccup, Merida and Fishlegs a pointed look which earned sheepish grins in reply, "We can get started."

"Now, though this dragon might nae be on th' same level as th' Red Death, a Night Fury or even a Monstrous Nightmare, believe me when Ah say 'at a Timberjack is a force tae be reckoned with," Gobber stated solemnly, causing some of his students to fidget nervously, "Bigger than even a Nightmare or a Zippleback, th' Timberjack can breathe fire sae hot it cud melt th' armor o' a Southerner Night an' cook him inside. Its teeth are sharp an' many an' it can squeeze a man sae tight his spine will snap like a twig. Whit it lacks in claws in makes up fer with its wings, which are sharper than anythin' Ah cud ever hope tae make an' can cut down a tree in a single swipe."

"Ye lot are gaein' tae need tae use everythin' Ah've taught ye sae far if any an' all o' ye hope tae best this beast," Gobber continued as he walked over to one of the larger doors, behind which the teens could hear the sound of metal scraping against stone, and placed his good hand on the release lever, "Are ye all ready?"

The teens glanced at one another, nodding at each other before giving a collective nod towards Gobber.

"Alright," Gobber stated as he pulled down on the release lever, the heavy iron bolt holding the door shut sliding to the side, "Good luck."

As soon as Gobber's words left his lips, the door smashed open and a dragon leapt through like it had been launched. The Timberjack was indeed a massive dragon, its grayish-green serpentine body half again as long as a Monstrous Nightmare. Its crocodilian jaw opened wide as it let out a cacophonous roar, its cavernous jaw lined with sharp, bone white teeth. Landing a few feet in front of the teens, the Timberjack coiled its body like a snake, somehow not cutting itself on the steel grey spines that covered its tail or the similarly colored ridges that ran down its back. Rearing up, it spread its truly colossal steel grey wings fully, its wingspan twice the length of the dragon itself, the appendages combining with the sweeping horns on the back of the Timberjack's head to create a monstrous shadow that enveloped the teens. The hooks that grew from the bottom and top of its wings gleamed in the sunlight as the Timberjack observed the teens with angry black on yellow eyes. Opening its mouth again, the dragon released another thunderous roar that seemed to shake the arena around them as a burning light grew in the back of its throat.

"Scatter!" Astrid shouted, causing the teens to all run in separate directions as the Timberjack fired a burning ball of fire that exploded when it hit the ground, scorching the stones that the teens had been standing on.

"Did you see the size of that blast!? Snotlout asked no in particular, watching as the Timberjack watched the teenagers surround it with angry eyes, "What are our shields supposed to do against that!?"

"Not much, I'm guessing," Hiccup commented sardonically.

"Still, shields are good for more than…well shielding," Fishlegs commented before he began banging on the side of his shield, the sound causing the Timberjack to growl irritably. Quickly, the others with shields joined in, the multisided sonic attack causing the Timberjack to screech in pain and anger. A second later, the Timberjack spread its wings wide and began slashing around it, the tips of its sharp wings cutting into the surrounding stonework and sending sparks flying as they scraped along the hard rock. The teens were forced to duck and tumble out of the way, ending their attempt to disorient the Timberjack.

"Well, that didn't exactly work," Tuffnut groused as the Timberjack recollected itself, "Now what?"

"Now we try not to get eaten!" Astrid cried as the Timberjack lunged at Ruffnut, forcing the Viking girl to tumble out of the way as the dragon went slithering past. Spinning around next to the arena wall, the Timberjack raised itself before spitting another fireball, forcing Merida to roll out of the way as it slammed into the wall behind her in a cloud of smoke and fire.

"Fishlegs!" Merida called as she picked herself up, "How many shots daes a Timberjack hae!?"

"Eight!" Fishlegs replied as the Timberjack let out another bellowing roar.

"Eight!?" Ruffnut shouted incredulously "You've got to be kidding me!"

"He's not," Astrid spoke up, watching the Timberjack wearily, "It's got six shots left, though I'm pretty sure that's the least of our problems."

As she said that, the Timberjack screeched and spread its wings before slithering across the ground, its appendages set to cleave them all in two.

"Down!" Hiccup shouted, prompting everyone to jump onto their bellies, allowing the bladed wings to pass harmlessly above them. The Timberjack snapped its jaws at Snotlout as it passed, forcing the young man to tumble out of the way.

Merida quickly pushed herself back to her feet, spinning to face the Timberjack as it reached the edge of the arena and turned back to face them, curling up like a cobra again. Notching an arrow, she pulled the strike back and fired it, but the missile merely bounced off the Timberjack's thick scales, causing it to growl at her.

"Ah thick its scales are too thick fer our weapons!" Merida cried, "Whit dae we dae?"

"It has to have a weak spot somewhere," Astrid muttered before she saw the Timberjack begin to charge at Merida the gigantic dragon taking up so much space that the Highlander had nowhere to dodge to.

"Merida!" Astrid shouted as she ran towards the other girl, tossing her shield and axe to the side as she went, ignoring the pain in her leg. Before Merida had had time to so much as scream at the approaching dragon, Astrid was by her side and grabbing Merida by the waist.

"Whit are ye-" Merida began to say but was interrupted as Astrid lifted her completely off the ground, stunning the princess into silence.

"Hiccup! Catch!" Astrid shouted before throwing Merida into the air and clear of the dragon. Astrid had just enough time to turn towards the Timberjack as it barreled towards her, while Merida let out a surprised shriek as she flew through the air.

Hiccup quickly dropped his sword and shield before squaring up to catch Merida. Instead, Merida smashed into him and they both went tumbling to the ground. Hiccup groaned as he sat up with Merida sitting in his lap.

"Are you okay!?" they asked each other in unison before a gasp from the gathered crowd caused them to turn back to where Astrid had been standing a moment ago. To their astonishment, Astrid was now in the jaws of the Timberjack, her feet planted firmly on its lower jaw as she held onto two of its teeth with her hands, pushing upwards to keep the dragon from crushing her. Her brow was furrowed in concentration, sweat forming on her forehead and her arms shaking from exertion. The Timberjack growled in annoyance as it continued trying to bite down, but Astrid refused to budge an inch.

"Sun above," Merida whispered in shock, her ice blue eyes wide as she turned to Hiccup, "Did ye know she cud dae 'at?"

"I knew Astrid was stronger than she looked but…" Hiccup trailed off, shaking his head slowly as his mouth hung open in shock, "I've never seen her do anything like this before."

As the others looked on in surprise, the Timberjack grew tired of struggling with Astrid. The blonde's eyes widened in fear as she saw a fiery red light forming down the dragon's throat.

"Damn," she swore quietly as she tried to figure a way to get out of the situation.

"Gods be good," Gobber said to himself as he hobbled towards Astrid and the Timberjack as fast as he could, "Astrid get oot o' there!"

Astrid was desperately trying to get out, but every time she tried to move, the Timberjack tried to slam its jaws closed on her. Panic began to set in as the Timberjack prepared to shoot Astrid pointblank with its fireball.

"Hold on, Astrid!" Fishlegs bellowed as he came barreling towards her from the side. Just as the Timberjack launched its fireball at her, Fishlegs leapt into the air and tackled Astrid, knocking her to the side as the dragon's jaw slammed shut onto the fireball, causing it to burst in the beast's mouth, tongues of flame licking the air between its teeth as the fire seared the soft flesh of its tongues and gums. Astrid and Fishlegs went tumbling across the stone arena floor, the Viking girl held securely in the young man's arms. Fishlegs hissed as they rolled to a stop, his back against the hard stone as Astrid lay on his chest.

"Are you alright!?" Astrid asked with concern, her voice almost drowned out as the Timberjack bellowed in pain, black smoke rising from its maw.

"My leg," Fishlegs groaned, prompting Astrid to look at the appendage in question. The lower half of Fishlegs' right pant leg was burnt off, the flesh underneath an angry shade of red.

"It looks like you got burnt a little," Astrid explained, giving Fishlegs' chest a comforting pat before rolling off, "Nothing we can't-"

"Astrid! Look out!" Ruffnut cried from the other side of the arena, prompting the blonde to turn and see the Timberjack rearing back to strike at her and Fishlegs.

"Hold on!" Astrid cried as she reached down and grabbed Fishlegs by his tunic. Doing a quick spin, she dragged Fishlegs across the ground before heaving him to the side, sending the young man rolling across the stone floor, clear of the dragon. Glancing over her shoulder, Astrid saw the Timberjack barreling towards her. Leaping to the side, she rolled out of the way of the Timberjack's jaws and ducked under its razor wings. Rolling to her feet, Astrid watched as the Timberjack turned to face her with narrowed dark blue eyes.

"Alright," she said determinedly, "My turn."

As the Timberjack lowered its head and growled threateningly at Astrid, the blonde girl ran at it, armed with nothing but her fists. Lashing out at her with one of its wings, the tips creating sparks as they dragged against the stone floor, the Timberjack tried to slice Astrid to pieces. Astrid quickly rolled under the attack, before sliding under the Timberjack's other wing as it tried a follow up attack. As Astrid ran right at the Timberjack's face, it tried to bite at her. Leaping into the air, Astrid flipped over the Timberjack's mouth and landed on its head, grabbing one of the dragon's horns for balance.

"Astrid!" Ruffnut shouted as she picked up the girl's waraxe and tossed it towards her, "Catch!"

Astrid easily snagged the axe out of the air, stepping onto the center of the Timberjack's head as she spun the axe so she was holding it above her own. With a cry, she brought it down hard on the Timberjack's head. There was a loud clang as steel met scale, causing sparks to shoot up as the axe bounced off the scales, causing Astrid to lose her balance. As Astrid pinwheeled her arms, the Timberjack roared in anger and pain, the strike seeming to have hurt the dragon even though it didn't penetrate the skin.

Throwing it head back, the Timberjack completely dislodged Astrid, sending her tumbling into the air. Spinning through the air, Astrid managed to right herself as she fell towards the Timberjack's back. As she landed on her feet, she began to slide down the Timberjack's green-grey scales, using her free hand to dig into the dragon's scales in an effort to slow herself down. As she passed between the Timberjack's wings, her hand still digging into the dragon's back, the creature suddenly shuddered and fell to the ground with a thud. The sudden movement sent Astrid flipping into the air again, landing next to the Timberjack and stumbling as she caught herself.

Confusion written on her face, Astrid turned and looked at the Timberjack. The dragon was laying on the ground, its eyes closed in a look of utter happiness and contentedness. The other teens and Gobber looked at the Timberjack in confusion and surprise, as did the people in the stands.

"What did you do?" Hiccup asked in surprise. Astrid could only shrug in reply, clearly as baffled as everyone else. As the Timberjack began to stir, a thought occurred to Astrid as she looked at her hand then back at the dragon. Reaching up as far as she could, Astrid began to scratch the area between the Timberjack's wings. As she did, the Timberjack let out what sounded like a moan as it relax even further, its body sagging against the stone floor.

"Well," Gobber spoke up after a long moment of quiet from everyone in the arena, "'At's new."

"Seems like we find out something weird about dragons every other day now," Snotlout observed as they crowded around the Timberjack. Looking over, Astrid saw Hiccup and Merida trying to help Fishlegs to his feet, but the blonde was having a hard time putting weight on his injured leg and the other two were finding it difficult to lift the larger boy on their own.

"Hey!" Astrid called as she jogged over to their side, and reached for Fishlegs' arm, "Here, let me help."

Pulling on Fishlegs' arm, Astrid easily pulled Fishlegs' to his feet, draping his arm over her shoulders to support him.

"How did ye dae 'at?" Merida asked, astonished, "'At an' whit ye did in against th' Timberjack."

"I don't know, I just do," Astrid replied with a shrug, almost knocking Fishlegs over but quickly catching him, "I've always been stronger than I look. My…my dad was the same way."

A silence fell over the group before Hiccup awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Uh, yeah, that was pretty impressive today, Astrid," Hiccup complimented her.

"Thanks," Astrid replied genuinely, "We've all been doing pretty good, haven't we? I really have no idea who Gothi's going to pick."

"We'll have to wait and see I guess," Fishlegs stated.

"I guess so," Astrid agreed before she began to lead Fishlegs towards the arena exit, "Come on Fish, let's go get you patched up."

"Alright," Fishlegs replied as he began limping along with Astrid, giving Hiccup and Merida a quick wave, "I'll see you guys later."

"Later," Merida and Hiccup said together, returning the wave. As they watched the two blondes go, a smile spread across Merida's face.

"What are you smiling at?" Hiccup asked as he crooked an eyebrow at her.

"Ah daenae know," Merida replied with a shrug as she turned to face him, "Call it woman's intuition."

Reaching out, she took Hiccup's hand and began to lead him towards the exit.

"Now, come on," she stated, looking at Hiccup with half-lidded eyes, "Ah'm sensin' an opportune moment tae hae some alone time."

Hiccup could only smile nervously as a blush spread across his face, allowing Merida to take him wherever she wanted to go.

At the gate, Ribbon stood with Gothi, looking anxious as she watched Astrid and Fishlegs approach.

"Oh Fishlegs, sweetie, are you okay?" Ribbon asked as she began to fuss over him.

"I'm fine, Mom. Just got a little burnt is all. Occupational hazard" Fishlegs said as he tried to wave her away, an embarrassed look on his face. Astrid could only smile at the spectacle.

Leaning down, Gothi examined the bright red skin on Fishlegs' leg.

"Yes, it's just a minor burn," Gothi said with a sagely nod, "Some burn ointment and a good night's sleep and you'll be right as rain."

"See," Fishlegs said to Ribbon as they began to make their way to Gothi's hut, the elder leading the way, "Nothing to worry about."

"I'm a mother, Fishlegs. I'm allowed to worry," Ribbon replied before turning her attention to Astrid, "Thank you so much for helping him, Astrid."

"It's no big deal," Astrid waved the compliment off, "It's the least I could do. Fishlegs saved my life in the arena today. Plus, when my leg got injured, he's the one who got me free and he even carried me once when I was having trouble moving around."

"Oh, did he now?" Ribbon asked with a raised eyebrow, noticing the blush that covered her sons face as well as the small one coloring Astrid's cheeks, "Well, he is such a good boy, isn't he, Astrid?"

"Mooooom!" Fishlegs groaned in embarrassment, hanging his head to try and hide. Astrid could only laugh in reply.

A/N: This chapter took forever! Seemed like it just didn't want to be written. I guess it probably had to do with the montage nature of this chapter. Oh well, I think in the end it turned out really well. I had a blast playing around with the Timberjack as the fact that we've seen so little of them in the series meant I could add some of my own interpretation to the mix. Hope you guys liked it too! As always, critiques and feedback are always welcome so please review! Later!


	23. Music Tames the Savage Beast

**Chapter 23: Music Tames the Savage Beast**

The sun shone brightly down upon the cliff near the cove where Toothless stayed. Hiccup was currently on Toothless' back, a rope connected to the Night Fury's saddle and tied to a stake the teens had driven into the ground. Hiccup had figured it might work better to get the basics of flying down in a way that didn't result in quite so many crash landings. Hopping into the air, Toothless spread his wings, catching the draft of the sea breeze and hovering in the air, held in place by the rope. Merida and Fishlegs sat on either side of the stake, idly watching as Hiccup swung Toothless back and forth, getting a feel for the new equipment he had installed.

Having grown sick of trying to finagle the rope into pulling the mechanical fin the way he wanted to, Hiccup had spent the night building a pair of stirrups for Toothless' saddle. The stirrup on the side of the mechanical fin had a pedal built into it that could be moved up and down, which, using a small system of ropes and pulleys, would adjust the fin accordingly. In all cases, it seemed to be working perfectly.

Merida smiled as she looked up at Hiccup riding on Toothless. With the wind sweeping through his auburn hair, his pale green eyes narrowed in determination and a confident, almost cocky grin on his face, Merida felt she was seeing a completely new side of Hiccup, one she was sure she liked just as much as the others.

Smiling softly, Merida pulled a whittling knife out of her belt before she began to carve something into the unoccupied space on her bow. Fishlegs noticed her work and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you doing?" he asked, curiously.

"Ah think Ah've finally settled on a name fer ma bow," Merida explained as she finished carving, blowing on the area she had been whittling to remove the shavings before handing it to Fishlegs for him to examine. Turning the bow over so he could see what Merida had done, he found, just under the symbol of her kingdom, what appeared to be a word written in a language he didn't recognize.

"I don't recognize the script," Fishlegs said as he looked up at Merida.

"It's Gaelic," Merida explained, "It was th' language o' th' Highlands afore th' Old Empire came an' brought th' Common Tongue with them."

"What does it say?" Fishlegs questioned.

"Sealgair," Merida answered, sounding like she was born to speak the tongue "It means hunter. Ah found it fittin' fer saeme reason."

"More fitting than you know," Fishlegs muttered, a pensive look on his face as he handed Merida the bow back. Merida looked at him in confusion.

"Whit did ye say?" Merida questioned.

"Oh nothing," Fishlegs replied quickly surprised Merida had heard him, "Was just, uh, figuring both you and Hiccup have names for your weapons, maybe I should name my hammer or something."

Fishlegs pulled out his old, one-handed warhammer and showed her in an effort to change the subject. Merida smiled at the thought.

"Whit are ye thinkin' o' namin' it?" Merida asked.

"I don't know, something cool," Fishlegs replied, now genuinely giving the matter some thought, "Like after the first jarl or something like that."

"Ah'm nae really familiar with th' jarls," Merida admitted, "Whit was his name?"

"Siegfried," Fishlegs replied, "The legends called him Siegfried the Great and Siegfried the First. Lord of All Vikings and King of the Wilderwest. It was he that united all the Viking tribes. They even say that he did battle with the Red Death and won."

"Ah thought th' Red Death killed th' jarl?" Merida questioned.

"No," Fishlegs replied, shaking his head, "That was his grandson, Gunnarr, the Ghastly who they also called the Grimbeard."

"Sae th' line o' jarls ended jist like 'at?" Merida asked, surprised.

"Oh no, not like that," Fishlegs explained, "Gunnarr had three sons, Torgeir the Thugheart, Claus the Chucklehead and Hiccup."

"Hiccup?" Merida questioned as she raised an eyebrow in surprise, "As in Hiccup Horrendous Haddock?"

"The First," Fishlegs finished with a chuckle.

"Sae, is he Hiccup's ancestor?" Merida asked, surprised.

"A relative. His great-great-uncle I believe," Fishlegs elaborated, "Hiccup is descended from Claus."

"Then why daes he carry th' name?" Merida inquired.

"Well, Hiccup the Fist left no sons," Fishlegs explained, "So Claus decided to name his son after his brother to carry on his legacy."

"Whit happened tae Hiccup th' First?" Merida questioned, becoming more and more intrigued as they talked.

"Nobody really knows," Fishlegs admitted with a shrug, "All we know is that he died young without fathering any children."

"Sae th' royal family's last name was Haddock?" Merida asked.

"No," Fishlegs answered with a shake of his head, "I'm not sure the jarls had a family name. I'm pretty sure they used the old way of your last name indicating who you were the son or daughter of."

"Sae where daes th' name Haddock come from?" Merida questioned.

"That was a title given to Hiccup along with Horrendous," Fishlegs elaborated, "They called him Horrendous because of the great fighter he was. They called him Haddock because he was such a great swimmer, people swore that he could breathe underwater. Claus took the titles and made it all one name, which is where the naming conventions of our tribe come from."

"Whit aboot Hiccup?" Merida asked, "Seems like a strange name compared tae th' rest o' his family. Why did his parents name him 'at?"

"Because he was small," Hiccup suddenly said. Whipping her head around, Merida saw Hiccup looking down at her from Toothless' back, an unreadable look on his face.

"Whit?" Merida asked in surprise.

"They named him Hiccup because he was so small when he was born," Hiccup explained, leaning his arms against Toothless' back, "According to the legends, he didn't really get much bigger as he grew up."

"Is 'at…" Merida began to ask but trailed off.

"Why my dad named me Hiccup?" Hiccup finished for her, a sad look in his eyes, "Partially. He probably also hoped I'd live up to the legacy of the first two Hiccups. After all, they were both great warriors and Hiccup the Second, my grandfather, was as big as my dad. Or at least, he was supposed to have been. I never met him. He died in battle before I was born."

"Ah'm sure ye'll live up tae th' legacy, Hiccup," Merida stated with a smile, before an annoyed look crossed her face, "Why didnae ye tell me ye were royalty?"

"Because I'm not," Hiccup replied with a snort, "I'm descended from the second son of someone who ruled a kingdom that doesn't even exist anymore. I never have been nor will I ever be royalty. I'll be lucky to be chief."

"Ye ne'er know," Merida said with a shrug, "Th' Highland Kingdoms anly reformed when Ah was a babe. Things can always change."

"So, what?" Hiccup asked with a chuckle, "You think I could be a jarl?"

"Like Ah said," Merida replied sincerely, a warm smile on her face, "Ah think ye can live up tae th' legacy."

Hiccup blushed under the praise, his eyes wide with surprise. As he opened his mouth to say something, a sudden gust of wind came shooting off the sea. Catching Toothless off guard, the gust blew against the Night Fury's half open wings, knocking him and Hiccup airborne, kept from flying away only by the rope secured to the ground. As Fishlegs and Merida tried to hold their ground against the gale, the rope frayed and then broke, sending Hiccup and Toothless flying back into the woods with a crash.

"Hiccup!" Merida exclaimed frightfully as she and Fishlegs hurried after Toothless and his rider. They found them a short distance away, trying to disentangle themselves from a bush and each other.

"Are you guys okay!?" Fishlegs asked in a worried tone as he and Merida ran up to Hiccup and Toothless.

"Yeah, I think so," Hiccup groaned as Toothless picked himself up, the rope that attached the two causing the Night Fury to lift his rider into the air. Grumbling, Hiccup righted himself, setting his feet on the ground as he tried to unclip himself from Toothless' saddle, only for the clip to refuse to budge. His eyes narrowing in confusion, Hiccup tried again, to no avail. Trying to remove his harness, he found that held fast as well.

"Uh, guys," Hiccup said in a worried tone, "I think we've got a problem."

"What's wrong?" Fishlegs questioned.

"I can't unhook from the saddle and my harness is stuck too," Hiccup explained.

"Whit shud we dae?" Merida questioned.

"I can fix it with my tools…" Hiccup trailed off.

"Which are in the smithy," Fishlegs finished with a sigh.

"Alright," Merida stated with a nod, "'at's nae big deal. Me an' Fishlegs will jist gae get them fer ye."

"It's getting dark," Hiccup commented as he glanced up at the sky, "I should come with you guys."

"You sure it's a good idea to bring Toothless that close to the village?" Fishlegs asked, glancing at the Night Fury that was sitting and following the conversation.

"It will be fine, I can keep him under control," Hiccup replied, earning dubious expressions from Merida and Fishlegs.

"Alright, well we better get movin'," Merida said as she turned to go, "We're wastin' daylight as it is."

With that, the three teenagers and the dragon began making their way from the cliff and into the forest back towards the village.

Dusk had fallen by the time the foursome had reached the outskirts of the village. Torches burned here and there and they could make out the shadows of sentries moving amongst the buildings or watching from the watch towers, their eyes open for any sign of trouble.

"Alright, Hic," Merida said as she turned to look at the other two, "Me an' Fishlegs will gae down tae th' smithy an' grab yer tools. Ye wait here with Toothless an' we'll bring th' tools back here then ye can get yerself free."

"Sounds good," Hiccup said with a nod, giving Toothless a scratch on the next that caused the Night Fury to purr in appreciation.

"Come on, Fish," Merida said to the larger boy, who nodded and followed her as she made her way into the village.

"Now, jist act natural," Merida stated as the two fell into step beside one another, "We're supposed tae be here."

"Right," Fishlegs said nervously, glancing around in a suspicious fashion, "Act natural."

Merida rolled her eyes, but didn't comment as they continued walking.

"Sae, Ah've been meanin' tae ask ye saemethin'," Merida said, a sly grin on her face.

"What's that?" Fishlegs asked, crooking an eyebrow at Merida.

"Ah was jist wonderin' whit exactly is gaein' on between ye an' Astrid?" Merida questioned, her smile growing as she saw Fishlegs jump in surprise as a blush began to form on his face.

"W-What are you talking about?" Fishlegs asked nervously as he began to scratch the side of his face, "There's nothing going on between us."

"Right," Merida replied, clearly not believing him, "Seriously, tell me."

"There's nothing to tell," Fishlegs insisted as he looked away from her.

"Come on, Fishlegs," Merida persisted, crossing her arms over her chest and narrowing her eyes at the Viking boy, "Ah know saemethin' is going on. Why wonae ye tell me? Ah thought we were friends."

"We are friends," Fishlegs said quickly, hoping to placate the Highlander girl, "I just don't really understand what's going on myself."

"Well then tell me whit ye dae know an' maybe Ah can explain it tae ye," Merida stated, smiling as she placed a hand to her chest, "Ah am a girl after all."

"Well, it's just, ever since we started dragon training, Astrid's been acting…I don't know, different around me," Fishlegs explained, playing nervously with his hands as he did.

"How sae?" Merida asked as they neared the smithy.

"Well, when I was hanging out with Snotlout and Tuffnut, we hung out with Astrid and Ruffnut from time to time," Fishlegs explained, "She never really talked to me much and so I always figured she didn't really like me."

"I got that impression from a lot of people, actually," Fishlegs said with a sad sigh, causing Merida to place a sympathetic hand on his shoulder and smile warmly at him.

"Sae whit changed?" Merida questioned, hoping for a happier topic.

"I don't really know, to be honest," Fishlegs answered with a shrug, "I mean I guess it started when I fought with that Gronkle in the arena. She's never complimented me or anything like that before."

"Ye must hae impressed her," Merida surmised, "She probably likes big, strong, brave Viking men."

"I don't think that's the whole thing though," Fishlegs continued, "That night we had that talk, which I guess I can tell you now was about her wanting to apologize to you, she said she had always thought I spoke well. I guess she thought I was smarter than Snotlout and Tuffnut and liked that."

"Daenae take much tae be smarter than Tuff an' Snotface," Merida commented with a chuckle.

"True enough, but still, I was surprised when she said that to me," Fishlegs stated, "She also said she liked that I didn't hit on her all the time, unlike Snotlout."

"Again, saemethin' any girl would appreciate," Merida replied with a snort, "Whit did ye say tae 'at?"

"I told her I never did because I thought I would never have a chance with someone like her," Fishlegs answered

"Aw, Fish, daenae sell yerself-" Merida began to say but stopped when Fishlegs kept talking.

"To which she said that I did have a chance," Fishlegs finished, his face heating up at the memory.

"Did she now?" Merida questioned, raising both her eyebrows in surprise.

"Yeah, and ever since then, she's been acting really different," Fishlegs went on, "I mean she helped me when I got injured and she even seemed concerned about it."

"Well, ye were also th' ane who got her oot from under 'at wall, daenae ferget," Merida stated, "An' saved her from bein' eaten by 'at Timberjack. She's probably pretty thankful fer 'at."

"But it's more than that," Fishlegs insisted as they approached the smithy, "Twice now Astrid has asked me for help. Before that, I had never seen Astrid ask anyone for help with anything."

"People change," Merida replied with a shrug as she stopped outside the smithy door, "An' saemetimes they change fer th' better."

"I guess," Fishlegs said with a shrug as he came to a stop next to Merida. The princess looked at him for a moment, a sly grin growing on her face.

"Dae ye like Astrid, Fishlegs?" Merida questioned.

"I…I don't know…" Fishlegs replied, playing with his fingers even more, "I mean…she's pretty…n-not that I only care if girls are pretty mind you! S-She's smart and she's probably the toughest fighter we have. Plus…"

"Plus…" Merida urged.

"Plus she's been really…nice to me lately," Fishlegs continued, "I mean, after Gothi fixed my leg, my mom invited her to dinner…and she went! She seemed to enjoy it even!"

"Well Fishlegs, Ah think 'at's because she likes ye," Merida said with a laugh.

"You…You really think so?" Fishlegs questioned uncertainly.

"Ah do," Merida replied simply as she opened the door and stepped into the smithy, Fishlegs following her, "She's probably too stubborn tae admit it, even tae herself, but Ah definitely think she likes ye. An' Ah'm pretty sure ye like her too."

"What should I do?" Fishlegs asked quietly, inspecting one of Gobber's tools on his workbench so he didn't have to look Merida in the eye.

"'At Ah cannae really help ye with," Merida admitted as she walked over to Hiccup's workbench and began collecting his tools, "As good as Ah think Hiccup an' Ah taegether are, Ah didnae hae any hand in makin' 'at happen. 'At was all Hiccup an' our parents. Maybe ye cud ask Hiccup fer help. Or, if ye're desperate, yer mother."

Fishlegs chuckled as he placed the tool he was looking at down.

"If Ah can offer ye any advice, it wud be tae keep daein' whit ye're daein'," Merida said as she gathered up the tools and made her way over to Fishlegs, "It seems tae be workin' sae far."

"Thanks, Merida," Fishlegs said sincerely.

"Daennae worry aboot it," Merida replied with a shrug and a smile, "'At's whit friends are fer."

The two teens made to leave the smithy but Merida froze and quickly held out her hand to stop Fishlegs.

"What's wrong?" Fishlegs asked.

"Ah hear saemethin'," Merida answered before creeping up to the door and slowly cracking it open and peeking out. As she did, she gasped before pulling away to look at Fishlegs in fear.

"It's Gobber!" she whispered harshly, causing Fishlegs' eyes to go wide with fear.

"What do we do!?" Fishlegs whispered back, looking on the verge of panic, "If he finds us in here with Hiccup's tools, he's going to suspect something!"

Thinking quickly, Merida shoved the tools into Fishlegs' hands before moving over to the smithy's large window.

"Ah'll distract him an' then ye sneak oot an' get th' tools tae Hiccup, okay?" Merida explained, earning a nod from Fishlegs. Taking a deep breath, Merida peeked through the cracks in the windows large shutters, seeing that Gobber was only a few feet away from the smithy's front door.

"Gobber!" she exclaimed as she threw open the shutters, startling the blacksmith as they slammed against the wall, "How are ye daein' this evenin'?"

"Princess!" Gobber exclaimed, looking at her in surprise, "W-Whit are ye daein' in ma shop this late at night?"

"Oh, Ah was jist lookin' fer Hiccup," Merida explained as she vaulted over the window sill and landed outside, quickly closing the window behind her, "Figured he might be here."

"Ye daen't know where he is?" Gobber asked surprised as he turned towards her. Glancing behind Gobber, Merida saw the door crack open and Fishlegs peek out. Merida gave a subtle shake of her head as she smiled broadly at Gobber.

"Nae, he disappeared earlier in th' afternoon," Merida lied, "Ah figured he might be here workin' on saemethin' here, but he's nae."

"An' here Ah thought ye two were attached at th' hip," Gobber stated with a chuckle, earning a warm smile and a blush from Merida, "Yo lot hae been spendin' a lot o' time in ma shop as o' late."

"Hiccup's been working on a lot of stuff," Merida explained as she motioned to Fishlegs, who slowly opened the door, his eyes glued to the back of Gobber's head as he crept forward, "Ah mean, hae ye seen th' sword he made?"

"Ah did," Gobber replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully, "Ah'm surprised Ah ne'er noticed him workin' on it afore. It wud take quite a while tae make a sword like 'at. An' Ah ne'er taught him how tae make a sword like 'at."

"Well, ye know Hiccup," Merida commented with a shrug as Fishlegs began to creep behind Gobber, "Ah mean, he made me ma bow an' he told me he had ne'er made a recurve bow afore."

"True enough," Gobber replied with a thoughtful nod as Fishlegs continued to slowly, cautiously sneak past him. Then, when Fishlegs was directly behind Gobber, a hammer suddenly slipped from his grasp and landed on the ground with a dull thud.

"Whit was 'at?" Gobber asked as he began to turn around, but stopped as Merida zipped over to his side, grabbing his arm to get his attention.

"Gobber!" she exclaimed, causing the blacksmith's head to whip back to look at her while Fishlegs silently scrambled to pick up the fallen tool, "There's saemethin' Ah've been meanin' tae ask ye."

"Uh…whit's 'at?" Gobber questioned, caught off guard by Merida's forwardness.

"Ah was jist curious…did yer mother ever hae anythin' she brought with her from th' Highlands?" Merida questioned as she saw Fishlegs pick up the hammer and quickly scurry away, disappearing behind a building, "Ahmean, Ah know she was…taken an' everything, sae she cudnae hae brought much but Ah thought if she had saemething identifiable I could figure oot whit clan she had belonged tae."

"Why are ye daein' this, princess?" Gobber asked with a surprised, hushed voice.

Merida sighed, allowing herself to relax now that she knew that Fishlegs was safely gone. This had been something she had wanted to talk with Gobber about for a while and she was happy for the chance to speak with him alone.

"Because yo're a good man, Gobber," Merida said after a moment, looking the blacksmith in the eye, "Ye deserve tae know where ye came from."

"Thank ye, princess," Gobber said after a moment of stunned silence, a warm smile on his face, "Ah…Ah think there is saemethin' ma mother had 'at cud help ye. Ah'll hae tae remember where Ah put it, but Ah'll get it tae ye as soon as Ah can."

"Sounds good," Merida replied with a grin of her own before she moved to leave, "Ah shud get gaein' now. Still haee tae find Hiccup after all."

"O' course," Gobber replied with a nod as he moved to go into the smithy, "Hae a good night, princess. Thanks again."

"Good night, Gobber," Merida replied as she began to walk away "An' ye're welcome."

As Merida made her way through the village a smile grew on her face. Slowly but surely, everything was getting better for her. She had friends on this island now. She was discovering things about dragons that no one had ever known before and was possibly helping to smooth over a centuries old conflict. She was even on good terms with Astrid! Plus, she had Hiccup, whom she had been trying to spend more time alone with, the thought of which made her bite her bottom lip as her blush brightened.

Luck really was on her side she realized as she made her way up the hill towards the edge of the village where she knew Hiccup, Fishlegs and Toothless would be. As she did, she glanced over to where the arena sat, covered in shadows cast from the surrounding, illuminated buildings. As she looked at it a thought came to her. A daring, dangerous, life-threatening thought. Maybe she could push her luck, just a little bit more.

_Meanwhile,_

"Where's Merida?" Hiccup questioned as he successfully disentangled himself from his harness after having detached himself from Toothless' saddle.

"I don't know," Fishlegs answered as he looked out over the village, "She was talking with Gobber when I left but you figure she'd be done by now."

"I'm going to go find her," Hiccup said as he picked up his tools.

"Why?" Fishlegs questioned, "She's in the village, it's not like she's in any danger."

"I don't know," Hiccup admitted as he began to walk down the hill towards the village, "I just have a feeling that something is going on."

"Uh, Hiccup?" Fishlegs spoke up, causing the other boy to pause and turn back towards him, "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow in confusion at his friend before he noticed that Toothless had silently begun to follow him down towards the village.

"No, no, no," Hiccup said worriedly, stepping in front of Toothless and holding his hands up in front of the Night Fury in an effort to stop the dragon from following him, "You can't go down there. That's for people, not dragons."

Toothless grunted before he moved around Hiccup, pushing the young man to the side as he continued down the hill towards the village.

"No Toothless, bad dragon!" Hiccup exclaimed as he stepped in front of the Night Fury again, standing up straight and puffing his chest out in an effort to appear more authoritative as he pointed at the ground in front of the large reptile, "Stay!"

Toothless regarded Hiccup for a few, silent moments before rolling his eyes at the Viking and pushing his way past the young man, making his way towards the village undeterred.

"Hey, wait!" Hiccup exclaimed as he chased after Toothless, "You have no idea where you're going!"

Fishlegs couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he jogged after his friend and his dragon.

_Meanwhile,_

Merida quietly snuck into the arena, slipping through the cage that covered the top of the structure and sliding down to the stone floor like she had done months before. The arena was eerily quiet with no one else around and was covered in long shadows cast by the moon hanging in the night sky above.

Sneaking towards the dragon pens, Merida could hear the sound of their calm breathing. No doubt most, if not all of the dragons were sleeping. As she crept closer, Merida could hear the dragons begin to stir inside their pens, sniffing at the air as they caught her scent. Ignoring the growls that began to emit from behind some of the pen doors, Merida moved towards one door in particular.

Placing her ear against the heavy wooden barricade, Merida listened to the heavy breathing and low growling on the other side. After a tense moment of silence, Merida gulped nervously before she lightly clicked her tongue. Instantly, something large and heavy slammed against the door, the impact sending Merida stumbling away as she heard the Nadder screech angrily and scratch at the wooden barricade.

As Merida took deep breathes to calm her rapidly beating heart, the sound of the portcullis blocking the entrance to the arena lifting up sent a wave of panic through her. Whirling around, she was relieved to find Hiccup and Fishlegs entering the arena with Toothless in tow.

"Merida!" Hiccup whispered harshly as he ran over to her while Fishlegs closed the portcullis behind them, "What are you doing!?"

"Whit am Ah daein'!?" Merida asked as she stared incredulously at Toothless, "Whit are ye daein'!? Whit's Toothless daein' here!? Dae ye realize how much trouble we'll all be in if anyane finds him here!?"

"He didn't exactly give us a choice," Hiccup replied with a sigh as he glared at the Night Fury who ignored the Viking as he smelt his way around the arena.

"How did ye find me?" Merida questioned.

"We didn't," Fishlegs explained, indicating to Toothless, whose ears pricked up at the sounds of the other dragons in their pens, "He made a beeline here as soon as he got free from Hiccup."

"He must have sensed the other dragons," Hiccup commented, before turning his attention back towards Merida, "You didn't answer my question. Why did you come here, Mer? Why were you messing around with that Nadder?"

"It's hard tae explain," Merida answered with a sigh, "I jist feel some sort o'…connection with it. Like Ah'm bonded with it saemehow. Dae ye understand or am Ah jist talkin' nonsense?"

A small smile spread across Hiccup's face as Merida looked at him pleadingly.

"I know precisely what you mean," Hiccup replied as he looked over at Toothless, who was sniffing at one of the heavy wooden doors sealing the dragon pens, "I've been feeling something exactly like that ever since we found Toothless in the cove."

"Ah jist wish Ah had a way o' talkin' tae her," Merida replied as she looked back at the pen where she knew the Nadder was, "Ah wish Ah cud prove tae her 'at Ah daenae want tae hurt her, like ye did with Toothless."

"She?" Fishlegs questioned, crooking his eyebrow at Merida, "You think it's a girl?"

"Oh, Ah know it's a girl," Merida said in a tone that brokered no arguments as Toothless wandered back over to them, rubbing against the princess, causing her to grin and scratch him on the head, "Whit dae ye think Toothless? Any ideas on how tae woo a female Nadder?"

"He'd probably suggest fish if he could talk," Hiccup joked, "Too bad we don't have any."

Toothless seemed to glare at Hiccup over the joke before turning his gaze back to Merida. Looking up at Merida with a gaze so intense that it caught the princess by surprise, Toothless locked eyes with her for a few moments before a continuous sound began to emit from his mouth that none of the teens could identify at first.

"Is he…humming?" Fishlegs asked uncertainly after a few stunned moments.

"Ah'm pretty sure he is," Merida agreed as she continued to hold Toothless' gaze, the sound of his humming filling the arena, causing the other dragons to go silent.

"Wait…I know that tune," Hiccup spoke up, shock written on his face. Hearing this, Merida listened closer to the tune Toothless was humming, her eyes going wide when she realized that she too knew this song.

"_An' ferever, Ah'm dreamin' o' home,_" Merida sung, her voice barely above a whisper, her voice matching Toothless' tune perfectly, "_Ah feel sae alone. An' ferever, Ah'm dreamin' o' home._"

"Wow," Fishlegs whispered, his eyes wide with surprise, having never heard Merida sing before.

"How does he know that song?" Hiccup questioned, as he stared flabbergasted at Toothless.

"A-Ah daenae know," Merida admitted, tearing her gaze away from Toothless for the first time since the Night Fury had begun humming to look at Hiccup, "Maybe-"

Merida cut herself off when the sound of the Nadder humming the same tune began to waft through the heavy wooden door. The Nadder had a lighter, almost melodic sound to it compared to Toothless. As the three teens stared at the door behind which they knew the Nadder sat, the other dragons began to join in. From the strangely nasally sound of the Gronckle to the echoing melody of the Zippleback, to the high-pitch squeaks of the Terror, to the deep rumblings of the Timberjack to the raspy noises that could only come from the Monstrous Nightmare, all of the dragons joined in, creating a haunting tune that filled the entire arena with sound.

Slowly, the look of shock on Merida's face was replaced with one of wonder and excitement before she began to join in.

"_It flows through me now,_" she sang, her voice harmonizing with the dragons' humming, "_Sae clear an' sae loud. Ah stand where Ah am an' ferever Ah'm dreamin' o' home. Ah feel sae alone. Ferever Ah'm dreamin' o' home._"

Slowly, the humming faded away but the excitement Merida felt threatened to overwhelm her. Rushing forward, she grabbed the release lever to the Nadder's pen before the boys realized she had even moved.

"Merida, wait!" Hiccup called out, holding his hand out in a futile attempt to stop her, but his pleas fell on deaf ears as Merida yanked down on the lever, releasing the door with a loud clunk. Taking a few, hesitant steps away from the door, Merida watched with wide eyes as the Nadder slowly nudged the door open, peaking its head out and scanning the area. Eventually, its gaze fell on Merida, who smiled reassuringly at it.

"Hi," she whispered, coaxing the wary dragon towards her, "It's okay, Ah'm nae gaein' tae hurt ye."

Slowly, Merida began to edge towards the Nadder, which took a few steps back and hissed as she got closer.

"Nae, nae, it's alright," Merida insisted, clicking her tongue at the Nadder. This seemed to give the Nadder pause before it clicked its tongue as well.

"'At's right," Merida cooed as she drew closer to the Nadder. As she moved closer, Merida held out her hand in an attempt to touch the Nadder, but the dragon hissed and shied away from her touch.

"Nae, it's okay," Merida stated before she began humming the tune again, hoping to calm the dragon as she reached out to touch it again. Instead, the Nadder gave another agitated hiss and snapped its jaws at Merida, almost biting off her hand in the process.

"Merida!" Hiccup exclaimed, taking a step forward but was stopped when Merida held out her hand behind her.

"Nae!" she exclaimed, glancing over her shoulder at Hiccup, "Stay back! Ah can dae this!"

As she looked back at Hiccup, Merida caught sight of Toothless, who was looking up at the night sky above them. Looking back at the Nadder, Merida found it had followed Toothless' gaze, looking up instead of at Merida. Glancing up at the night sky, Merida saw it was a cloudless night, the full moon shining down upon them. Returning her gaze to the Nadder, Merida saw the dragon slowly spread its wings and give a few flaps before letting out what sounded like a sigh and bringing its eyes back to the princess as it closed its wings. Merida's eyes widened as she watched the Nadder before she nervously bit her lip as a thought came to her.

"_When th' cauld wind is a callin', an' th' sky is clear an' bright_," she sang, catching the Nadder's attention as it regarded her with its head tilted in curiosity, "_Misty mountains sing an' beckon, lead me oot intae th' light_."

"_Ah will ride, Ah will fly, chase th' wind an' touch th' sky,_" Merida continued, smiling as she watched the Nadder bob along to the beat of the song, "_Ah will fly, spread ma wings an' touch th' sky!_"

"_Na na nana, na na nana, na na nana nana na,_" Merida sung as she began to bounce and spin in place, the Nadder bobbing with her, "_Na na nana, na na nana, na na nana nana na_!"

"_Where dark woods hide secrets, an' mountains are fierce an' bold,_" Merida continued, continuing to hop and twirl, her smile growing as she noticed the Nadder was beginning to mimic her motions, "_Deep waters hold reflections o' times lost long ago._"

"Ah_ will hear every story, take hold o' ma own dream!_" Merida sang, doing a quick spin that twirled her hair and skirt around her before she thrust her arms into the air and clenched her hands into fists while throwing her head back, "_Be as strong as th' seas are stormy an' proud as an eagle's scream!_"

Merida laughed with delight as the Nadder spun around as well, the air stirring her hair as its tail whipped by her face, before spreading its wings up towards the sky, throwing its head back and letting out a screech.

"_Ah will ride, Ah will fly, chase th' wind an' touch th' sky,_" Merida sang as she moved back and forth, the Nadder matching her movements, "_Ah will fly, spread ma wings an' touch th' sky!_"

"_Na na nana, na na nana, na na nana nana na,_" Merida sung as she extender her arms to the side and began to skip away, the Nadder following her, its winds spread as it bobbed along behind her, the boys watching in stunned awe, "_Na na nana, na na nana, na na nana nana na!_"

"_Spread ma wings! Spread ma wings!_" Merida sang as she began to twirl in place her arms raised as the Nadder circled around her, humming to the music, "_Touch the skyyyyyyy!_"

Merida stopped spinning as she let the last note fade, breathing hard with an exhilarated look on her face. In front of her, Merida saw the boys looking her direction. She began to say something but stopped when Hiccup nodded at something behind her. Slowly turning around as she lowered her arms, she found the Nadder standing only a few feet from her, watching her as it closed its wings against its body. Cautiously, Merida held out her hand, stopping just before she touched the Nadder, her fingers inches from its scales. The Nadder regarded her for a few moments and gave her hand an experimental sniff. After careful consideration, the Nadder leaned forwards and rubbed its nose against Merida's hand, the scales warm against her flesh.

Whipping her head around, Merida looked over at Hiccup and Fishlegs with an expression of barely contained glee, the boys smiling encouragingly at her. After a few moments, the Nadder pulled away, wiggling its nose slightly.

"Ma, arenae we a pretty girl," Merida said as she reached out and stroked the side of the Nadder's neck, the dragon giving a snort that sounded to the princess like it regarded the compliment as the most obvious thing in the world, causing the Highlander to smirk, "An' proud too."

"Merida," Hiccup gently said from behind her as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "We should get going. It's getting late and we still have to sneak Toothless back to the cove."

"Right," Merida agreed reluctantly, glancing at Toothless, who had been sitting and watching the boys the whole time before she began to lead the Nadder back over to its pen, which the dragon willingly entered after the princess gave it a few quick scratches on its neck.

"You did a really great job tonight, Mer," Hiccup congratulated her, "That was pretty spectacular."

"Thanks," Merida replied, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as she prepared to close the door to the pen.

"I guess we're going to have to name her now," Fishlegs commented, looking at Merida, "What do you think we should call her?"

"'At's easy," Merida answered, peeking into the pen and watching the Nadder curl up to go to sleep as she closed the door, "Good night, Boudica."

_Later,_

"Hiccup?" Merida called as she knocked on his bedroom door, "Can Ah come in?"

"Uh, sure," Hiccup replied, having already shed his vest and boots in his preparation to go to bed, his room illuminated by a single candle, "Come on in."

Merida eased the door open and stepped in, having shed her vest and boots as well, the strip of clothe she wore in her hair, her bright red locks hanging freely around her face.

"What's up?" Hiccup asked, noticing how nervous she seemed.

"Well…Ah was jist wonderin'," Merida said, rubbing her arm anxiously, "If Ah cud sleep with ye taenight?"

"Why would you want to do that?" Hiccup asked with a surprised tone before immediately mentally kicking himself for saying something so monumentally stupid. If Merida was offended by the comment she didn't show it.

"Well, Ah figured we're gaeing tae be sharin' ane every night ance we're married, sae we might as well get used tae it, right?" Merida explained

"I don't think my dad would approve," Hiccup replied, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yer dad isnae here right now, an' whit he daenae know wonae hurt him," Merida commented, smiling gently at Hiccup, "Seems like an awful waste o' an opportunity."

"I-I guess you can stay," Hiccup stated, "Yeah sure, that will be, uh, good."

"Great!" Merida beamed before running her eyes up and down Hiccup, "Sae how dae ye, um, sleep?"

"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked, confused.

"Ah mean whit dae ye wear tae bed?" Merida questioned with a nervous laugh, "Ah'm guessin' ye daen't sleep in th' nude…dae ye?"

The two teens stared at each other, blushes on their face as they considered the implications of what Merida had said.

"Nope, nothing like that," Hiccup said quickly before pulling his pants off, revealing the briefs he wore underneath, "This is good. This right here, is what I wear. Yes."

Merida giggled nervously, biting her lip and blushing as she looked over Hiccup's lean legs.

"Okay, Ah can dae 'at," Merida said confidentially, looking at Hiccup through half-lidded eyes as she put her thumbs into the waist of her skirt and leggings and slid them off, revealing her creamy legs and the tight briefs she wore, "Is 'at good?"

Hiccup almost choked as he looked at her, his face turning beat red before he averted his eyes.

"Yeah, that's good," he choked out.

"Come on, Hic," Merida said with a laugh as she kicked her discarded clothes away, "Ye've seen me more exposed than this."

"Doesn't mean you can't leave me breathless with how pretty you are," Hiccup replied with a shrug as he turned back to look at Merida. There was a quiet moment as Merida just stared at Hiccup with a complete blank expression before literally pouncing on him, knocking him onto the bed as she smashed her lips against his. Hiccup lay for a moment in the tangle of limbs in utter shock before the feeling of the kiss drew him in, wrapping his arms around Merida as she lay on his chest, only breaking apart due to need for air.

"Ye know," Merida said, crossing her arms over Hiccup's chest, "When ye're nae busy sticking yer foot in yer mouth, ye really dae say th' most wonderful thin's."

"Thanks, I-" Hiccup began to say before a look of abject horror crossed his face.

"Whit's wrong…" Merida began to trail off before her expression turned to one of surprise as Hiccup's face went bright red. Cocking an eyebrow, Merida looked down at where Hiccup and her bodies were pressed together, before looking back at him.

"Is 'at ye?" she questioned, a small grin spreading across her face.

"I-I'm so sorry," Hiccup babbled as his face turned even redder, "I-I can't control uh, it, that is, I can, kind of, it's just, you know…hard…"

"Oh yes, Ah can tell it's very hard indeed," Merida whispered, a rosy tint to her cheeks as she grinned at Hiccup, whose eyes widened in surprise.

"It should, you know, go away on its own, I suppose," Hiccup explained, looking like he was ready to die of mortification

"Aye, this seems tae be th' kind o' thin' 'at needs tae be taken care o' on ane's own," Merida teased as she propped her head up with one hand and lazily drew circles on Hiccup's chest with the other, "But ye know whit they say, "Many hands make light work.""

Hiccup was completely flustered by this point, unable to form any sort of cohesive words.

"Ye're adorable," Merida stated, leaning down and kissing him again before rolling off his chest and sliding under the blanket, "Ah've had ma fill o' teasin' ye taenight. Snuff oot th' light an' come tae bed, will ye?"

"Uh…yeah…yeah sure," Hiccup replied, slowly regaining control of himself, dumbly snuffing out the candle and plunging the room into darkness as he slid under the blanket with Merida. Hiccup merely lay in his bed for a few moments, staring at the form of Merida lying in bed with her towards him.

"So…uh, how does this-" Hiccup began to ask but stopped when Merida reached back, grabbed both of his arms and wrapped them around her so he held her with her back pressed against his front.

"This is nice," Merida commented dreamily.

"Uh yeah, yeah it is," Hiccup agreed with a smile.

"Good night, Hiccup," Merida cooed, getting comfortable in Hiccup's arms.

"Good night, Merida," Hiccup replied, pulling Merida closer, his nose buried in her hair, her earthy aroma surrounding and relaxing him. All was right with the world as sleep's embrace began to take him. At least until his eyes shot open with a look of horror on his face. Merida could only giggle.

"Doon boy."

A/N: This chapter took a lot longer than expected but it was a blast to write! From the character interactions to the backstory to the plot advancement, I had fun with every moment of this chapter. Hope you guys liked it too! Feedback and critiques are always welcome so please review! Later!


	24. Touch the Sky

**Chapter 24: Touch the Sky**

The salt water lapped lightly at the wooden dock of Berk, the water disturbed more than usual by the two longships that were rowing through the harbor. Both ships looked like they had seen better days, their sails having been completely burned away and their hulls were scorched and battered. More Vikings that either ship was meant to hold were squeezed into the boats, looking just as bruised and beaten as their vessel.

As the villagers helped tie the two ships to the docks, Stoick stepped off one of the boats, Spitelout, Bertha and Fishguts following him as he made his way up the docks, grim expressions on their faces as they approached Gobber, who was waiting for them at the end of the dock. With them was another man roughly the same age. Unlike the others, he was tall and lanky, with auburn hair that he wore in an elaborate braid and a short goatee. He wore a dark brown shirt under a brown fur vest. He wore grey trousers over his legs along with a horned, iron helmet, leather bracers, fur-lined boots and a dragon tooth necklace. A longbow was slung around his shoulders along with a leather quiver.

"Sae," Gobber said awkwardly, "How'd it gae?"

The cold look Stoick gave him spoke volumes.

"That bad, huh?" Gobber asked, his face falling.

"We didn't find the nest," Stoick grumbled, "It cost us a number of our longships."

Stoick sighed sadly, glancing over at some of the other Viking warriors as they disembarked from the longships. One woman walked up to another waiting on shore who was watching the approaching warrior anxiously. Sadly, the warrior woman produced a waraxe and held it out to the other woman, who began to wail with despair as her body was wracked with sobs.

"And the lives of some good people," Stoick finished sadly as he looked back at Gobber, "How have things been here?"

"Well, Ah'm happy tae report 'at they've been good," Gobber replied, a smile returning to his face, "In fact, ye wonae believe it but-"

Gobber was cut off as one of the villagers ran up and clapped Stoick on the shoulder, startling the chieftain.

"Congratulations, Stoick!" the man exclaimed happily as he walked away "I never would have believed it!"

"Believed wha-" Stoick began to ask, a bewildered look on his face.

"Looks like you'll never have to worry about Hiccup again, eh Stoick?" a woman called as she walked by, a beaming smile on her face.

"What are y-" Stoick tried to question, growing more and more confused by the second.

"Looks like our problems are gone, Stoick!" Another man shouted at the befuddled chieftain.

"Gone?" Stoick asked quietly as he turned his attention back to Gobber, "He's gone?"

"Aye, most afternoons" Gobber replied with a snort of laughter, "He's usually oot in th' woods with Fishlegs an' th' princess."

Stoick made a noise that sounded like a mixture between annoyance and relief as he narrowed his eyes at Gobber.

"What is everyone talkin' about?" Stoick demanded with a growl.

"Yer boy has been performin' phenomenally in dragon trainin'," Gobber explained with a smile.

"He has?" Stoick asked, clearly stunned by the news.

"There's no way," Spitelout added, not believing a word of it.

"It's true," Gobber insisted, "Th' princess has been daein' well too, as hae Fishlegs an' Astrid."

"Fishlegs has been doing well?" Fishgusts asked, surprised.

"He fought a Gronckle by himself on th' first day," Gobber informed the other man, "He almost won too."

Fishguts let out a chuckle, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head in disbelief.

"What about Snotlout?" Spitelout questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.

"He's been alright," Gobber replied with a shrug, causing Spitelout's eyes to narrow.

"How about Junior and Ruff?" the other man spoke up with a raspy voice.

"Och, ye shud hae seen them fight th' Zippleback, Tuff. A sight tae behold, it was," Gobber said proudly, "Yer girl even got a scar tae show fer it."

"But how?" Stoick pressed, trying to wrap his head around the information he had been given.

"Hiccup has a way with th' beasts," Gobber explained, "An' th' others."

"What's that mean?" Bertha questioned.

"He's become quite th' leader amongst their group," Gobber elaborated, "They look tae him tae figure oot how tae handle th' dragons."

"Oh, I don't believe a word of that," Spitelout spat, glaring at Gobber.

"Believe whit ye want," Gobber shot back, scowling at the other man, "Ah'm nae th' anly ane who sees it."

"Who's winning?" Fishguts asked, cutting off any retort Spitelout had.

"Of 'at, Ah haenae th' foggiest o' notions," Gobber replied, "They've all been daein' remarkably well. They've figured oot things aboot dragons 'at even Ah didnae know aboot. Ah hae nae idea who Gothi is gaein' tae pick."

"Where is Hiccup now?" Stoick asked.

"In th' woods with Fishlegs an' th' princess, like Ah said," Gobber explained, "Whit they dae in there, Ah hae nae idea."

"Well, if it was just Hiccup and the girl, I think I'd have a notion about what they were doing," Bertha joked, earning an appreciative chuckle from Fishguts and Tuff.

"Like he'd have it in him," Spitelout scoffed, earning a glare from Stoick.

"Ye'd be surprised," Gobber spoke up, a smirk on his face, "Hiccup an' th' princess hae become even closer since ye left."

"Have they now?" Stoick questioned, cocking an eyebrow at Gobber.

"You should hurry up with that marriage, Stoick," Bertha quipped, "Lest you have bastard grandchildren running around."

"To say nothing about what the Bear King would do if he found out his daughter was deflowered out of wedlock," Fishguts added with a chuckle.

"Shut it, both of ye," Stoick growled glaring at Fishguts and Bertha who chuckled in reply.

"'At's pretty funny, comin' from th' two o' ye," Gobber commented with a chuckle.

Bertha and Fishguts looked at each other in confusion before looking back at Gobber.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bertha questioned.

"Nae really ma placed tae say," Gobber replied with a smirk before he turned and began to walk away, "Regardless, Ah hae tae be gaein', Ah hae more dragon lessons tae plan after all."

The five of them shared confused looks as the blacksmith left, chuckling to himself.

_Meanwhile,_

The sun shined brightly over the island of Berk, a gentle breeze wafting through the forest, stirring the leaves on the trees and pushing the white clouds that lazily drifted across the sky. In the hidden cove, the three teens stood on the shores of the lake, Toothless sunbathing not far away.

Fishlegs and Merida were looming over Hiccup as he kneeled on the ground, using a stone mortar and a wooden pestle to grind what looked like a clump of black powder.

"So, what exactly are you planning on doing with this stuff, Hiccup?" Fishlegs questioned as Hiccup finished, standing up with the mortar in hand.

"Just doing an experiment," Hiccup explained, as he pulled a cloth bag from his vest and began pouring the powder in, "I want to see if black powder is as potent as black rock, like Hilde said."

"How dae ye plan on daein' 'at?" Merida asked as Hiccup tied the bag closed.

"Can I have one of your arrows?" Hiccup questioned, turning to Merida and holding a hand out to her.

"Uh, sure," Merida replied as she blinked in surprise, reaching into her quiver and pulling out an arrow before handing it to him.

"Thanks," Hiccup said with a warm smile as he took the offered weapon. Holding the arrow in one hand, he tied the bag holding the powder to the weapon's shaft with the other. Once he was done he reached into his vest and pulled out a short length of rope, which he entwined with the bag before handing the whole thing back to Merida.

"Um, whit dae ye want me tae dae with this, Hic?" Merida questioned, a quizzical expression on her face.

"Notch it on your bow, if you would," Hiccup instructed as he pulled some flint and iron from his belt. Merida nodded and unslung her bow before notching the arrow to the bowstring, having to compensate for the arrow's extra weight.

"Whit now?" Merida asked.

"Now, I need you to fire into the cove wall over there," Hiccup instructed, pointing to the wall a good distance away from them as he began striking the flint and iron together, creating sparks that he was trying to ignite the rope with, "We'll see just how much of a bang this stuff packs."

"Are ye sure this is a good idea?" Merida asked wearily.

"Yeah, it will be fine, don't worry," Hiccup answered reassuringly while Merida made a face that showed she was anything but reassured. Glancing over her shoulder at Fishlegs, she was surprised to find the larger boy had been slowly backing away, a frightened expression on his face. Merida shot a glare at him, to which Fishlegs replied with a shrug as he continued backing away.

After a few moments, the rope caught, grey smoke rising from it as the fire moved towards the bag of black powder.

"Alright! It's lit!" Hiccup exclaimed as he quickly stood up and stepped behind Merida, who fired the arrow into the cliffside. There were a few tense moments as the three teens watched the spot where the arrow had struck, grey smoke continuing to rise. Then, all of a sudden, the smoke ceased while the arrow and bag sat in the cliff wall as if nothing had happened.

"Damn," Hiccup swore as he and the others relaxed, "I was sure that wo-"

Hiccup was interrupted by the thunderous, fiery explosion that ripped a chunk of the cliff wall apart, the force of the blast knocking the three teens off of their feet as bits of rock rained down around them. Blinking in surprise, the trio pushed themselves into seated positions as they all looked at the freshly made hole in the cliffside that was belching black smoke, a few tiny fires burning on the scorched rock. Toothless, alerted by the explosion, came bounding over to them, looking around for any sign of danger with wide, wild eyes.

The three teens just sat on the hard ground looking at the damage they had caused, trying to process what had happened.

"Zat vas quite impressife," a voice said from behind them, causing all of them, including Toothless, to jump in surprise, finding Hilde standing behind them, smiling like she had been there the entire time. Her crow cawed in greeting from its perch on her shoulder.

"Hilde!" Merida greeted with a smile as she pushed herself to her feet, "It's been a few days since we last saw ye."

"I'fe been busy, Jaeger," Hilde explained as she looked over at Toothless and smiled, "And I see you all hafe been as vell. Hello, drache."

Toothless watched Hilde curiously, his head tilted to the side. He sniffed her out of curiosity before suddenly jumping back as if startled. The other's watched Toothless in surprise while Hilde smiled knowingly.

"Whit's up with him?" Merida questioned, watching Toothless back away cautiously, the look on his face expressing surprise more than any other emotion.

"I suppose I'm just not vat he expected," Hilde replied with a shrug, an enigmatic smile on her face.

"What brings you here, Hilde?" Hiccup questioned.

"Checking up on you zree, of course," Hilde explained as she turned to face them, "Seems you hafe been learning zee secrets of zee black rock."

Hiccup gave an embarrassed smile as he scratched the back of his head while Hilde looked over at Toothless, who was watching the group from afar.

"As vell as learning zee secret of dragons," she continued before turning back to the teens, "You'fe done vell in your training of two dragons."

The teens looked at the old woman in shock.

"How did ye…" Merida began to say in surprise.

"A little bird told me," Hilde explained.

Her crow puffed his feathers proudly.

"Vell, maybe not so little," Hilde added cheekily.

The crow cawed at Hilde indignantly but she ignored it.

"You hafe quite zee voice, Jaeger," Hilde commented with a smile.

"Uh, thank ye, Hilde," Merida replied with a blush, tucking a hair behind her ear.

"Vat made you do it?" Hilde questioned.

"Excuse me?" Merida asked, confused by the question.

"Vhy did you choose to sing to zee dragon?" Hilde clarified, "Or, efen more interesting, vhy did you open zee door?"

"Ah…Ah…" Merida mumbled, struggling to find an answer as Hiccup and Fishlegs watched her with curiosity.

"Vhy did you do somezing zat any rational mind vould know vould likely get you killed?" Hilde pushed.

"Because…Because…" Merida tried to say, glancing over at Hiccup before looking at the ground, her face red with embarrassment.

"Because vhy?" Hilde asked gently, reaching out and placing one of her hands on Merida's arm, "Zere is nozing to be ashamed of, my dear."

"Because Ah knew it wud work," Merida stated quietly after a moment, "Because Ah felt it wud work."

"Felt it vhere?" Hilde questioned, a smile growing on her face.

"In ma gut," Merida answered, looking Hilde in the eye.

"You followed your instincts," Hilde surmised, taking her hand off of Merida's arm with a beaming smile, "Like a true hunter. A true jaeger."

"Hunter?" Merida questioned in surprise as she reached up and touched her bow, "Is 'at whit…"

"Jaeger means?" Hilde finished for her, before turning to look at Fishlegs, "Vhy yes, yes it is. Zough I beliefe some of you already knew zat. Isn't zat right, Leser?"

Hiccup and Merida turned to look at Fishlegs who cast his eyes to the ground and began nervously rubbing his arm.

"Fishlegs what does she mean?" Hiccup questioned.

"Leser knows a lot of zings," Hilde stated, "Zat's vhy I decided to call him Leser. Vat does zat mean?"

"Reader," Fishlegs replied quietly.

"Fishlegs, why didnae ye tell us whit those names meant?" Merida questioned, "We jist thought they were terms o' endearment."

"Yeah, why didn't you say anything?" Hiccup added.

"Because of what your name means," Fishlegs replied, looking at Hiccup.

"Why?" Hiccup asked cautiously, "What does it mean?"

"…Rider," Fishlegs said quietly.

"It means rider?" Hiccup repeated, surprised.

"Yeah, I didn't think anything of it until you hopped on Toothless' back and started flying around," Fishlegs explained, "And then when I did, I was worried you guys would think I was crazy or something."

"You schould alvays trust your friends, Leser," Hilde stated with a smile, "And yourself, you're right more often zan you sink."

"So, why did you choose to call me Rider?" Hiccup questioned, turning his attention back to Hilde.

"Because I had a feeling in my gut," Hilde replied, turning her eyes to Merida, "And I alvays trust my instincts."

"You have some very specific instincts," Hiccup commented, earning a shrug from Hilde.

"So, is today zee day?" Hilde asked.

"The day for what?" Hiccup questioned in confusion.

"For flying of course!" Hilde said with a laugh, "Isn't today zee day you and your dragon are going to truly fly for zee first time?"

"How did you…" Hiccup began to ask but trailed off when Hilde gave him a look, "Right, right, crows and guts and all that."

"So you are prepared to fly?" Hilde asked.

"I guess," Hiccup replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a piece of folded parchment. Unfolding it, he showed it to Hilde, revealing a set of instructions for using Toothless' tailfin.

"I got this cheat sheet to help me remember the control when I'm up there," Hiccup explained.

"Hmm, yes, I see. May I look at it?" Hilde asked, holding her hand out to Hiccup.

"Uh, yeah sure, here," Hiccup replied, handing Hilde the parchment.

"Zank you," Hilde stated as she took the parchment and began studying it, her crow looking along with her. Both the bird and its owner cocked their heads to the side as they studied the writing on the parchment. After a moment, Hilde turned the parchment over, as if trying to figure out which side was up. Looking up at Hiccup, Hilde cocked a questioning eyebrow at the boy before she quickly tore the parchment up before throwing the remains into the air so that they showered around her.

"Hey!" Hiccup exclaimed, reaching out far too late to stop her, only to come to a dead stop as Hilde stuck a long, gnarled finger in his face.

"You don't need it," Hilde stated plainly, looking Hiccup dead in the eye, "And it's foolish to zink you do."

"But-" Hiccup tried to argue but Hilde continued on.

"Vat vere you going to do?" Hilde questioned, "Consult your little cheat scheet as zee vind vhipped by and zee earth came rushing to greet you?"

"I just thought-" Hiccup tired to say but Hilde cut him off again.

"Zat's zee problem, you're zinking too much," Hilde stated, withdrawing her hand, "Zere's a time and place for zinking, but up zere, in zee heat of zee moment, is not it. Up zere it vill get you killed."

Hiccup paused for a quiet moment as he let Hilde's words sink in.

"So what should I do?" Hiccup questioned.

"As I said before, one must alvays trust their instincts," Hilde stated with a smirk, "I did not name you Reiter idly. Riding is in your blood."

"What do you mean?" Hiccup asked, confused, "There have never been horses on Berk until Merida came, nobody in my family knows how to ride."

"My dear boy, vatefer made you sink I vas talking about riding horses?" Hilde questioned with a smirk.

There was a stunned silence as the three teens stared at Hilde.

"Whit are ye tryin' tae say?" Merida questioned quietly.

"Remember ven I told you zat you vere not zee first people to interact vith dragons peacefully?" Hilde asked in return.

"Yes," Hiccup replied, "You never told us who it was."

"You already know his name," Hilde answered with a chuckle, "You hear it efery day."

"You mean Hiccup the First, don't you?" Fishlegs asked, his eyes widening in realization, "Are you saying that he was friends with dragons?"

"No, I'm saying he rode zem," Hilde replied simply.

The stunned silence that followed was twice as long as the one that had come before it.

"Why have we never heard about this before?" Fishlegs questioned, "Everything I've read about him says Hiccup the First fought dragons."

"Much like people, some dragons are good, others are efil," Hilde explained with a shrug, "And you must keep in mind zat writers are people and people lie. I trust you find zat accounts are razer quiet on zee nature of Hiccup zee First's death?"

Fishlegs nodded.

"Zat's because he vas killed by his brother zee Thugheart for doing exactly vat you are doing now," Hilde explained.

"Well, that's encouraging," Hiccup commented sarcastically as Merida gasped lightly in shock.

"I do not mean to dishearten you, Reiter," Hilde said with a chuckle, "Zat vas a different time and sings hafe changed efen more zan you know. vat I vas trying to do vas show you zat you are prepared for zis. You need only trust yourself."

Hilde reached out and lightly patted Hiccup on the arm.

"It's in your blood," Hilde finished with a large smile.

A warm smile spread across Hiccup's features, matched by those of his friends.

"Sae whit dae ye say, Hic?" Merida questioned with a smirk as she placed her hands on her hips, "Fancy a fly?"

Hiccup looked over at her and gave her a confident smirk.

"You know it."

A few minutes later and the group had gathered on the cliffside near Toothless' cove. Fishlegs was busy securing the saddle to Toothless' back with Hilde looking on as Hiccup slipped on his harness. Glancing to his side, her saw Merida peel off her vest and began putting on the harness that she had insisted he make for her earlier that day.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked in a teasing manner.

"Whit, ye thought ye were gaein' on yer first real flight without me?" Merida chided as she tightened the clasps on her harness before producing the extra rope line he had made with the harness and attaching one end to her belt, "Dream on, dragonrider."

Hiccup could only smile in reply as he made his way over to Toothless, Merida following behind him.

"How's he looking, bud?" Hiccup asked Fishlegs as the larger boy stepped away from Toothless.

"He should be all set," Fishlegs said with a smile and a thumbs up. Hiccup nodded in return before hopping on to Toothless' back, the dragon antsy with anticipation as the young man helped Merida onto the saddle behind him.

"Okay, hook yourself in," Hiccup said, taking the line from his harness and attaching it to Toothless' saddle.

"You ready?" Hiccup asked, looking back over his shoulder at her.

"Ready," Merida answered as she hooked herself in as well before wrapping her arms around Hiccup's stomach and resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Alright, buddy," Hiccup said as he patted Toothless on the head, "How about you? Ready to fly again?"

Toothless barked excitedly as his whole body shook with excitement.

"Alright," Hiccup replied, firmly setting his feet in the stirrups.

"Good luck," Fishlegs said encouragingly.

"Remember Reiter," Hilde added, standing next to Fishlegs, "Trust your instincts."

Hiccup nodded before turning his attention to the cliff, and the sea beyond it. Urging Toothless forward, the dragon and riders stood on the precipice of the cliff, looking down at the sea churning against the rocks below. Merida pulled herself closer to Hiccup.

"Okay," Hiccup said, narrowing his eyes in determination, "Let's go!"

With that, Toothless hopped off the cliff, plunging towards the rocks and water below. As they fell, Toothless began to spread his wings while Hiccup looked down nervously at the stirrups.

"I think…" Hiccup said nervously, glancing at the quickly approaching ocean, "I think…it's…this one!"

Pushing down on the stirrup, Hiccup caused Toothless' tail to flare, changing their trajectory and sending them flying perpendicular to the water, the sea spraying them as they flew.

"Cuttin' it a wee close, arenae we?" Merida commented as she watched Hiccup wearily as her bright red hair streamed behind her like a comet's tail, Toothless grunting in agreement, "It's like Hilde said, ye hae tae stop thinkin' sae much!"

"I know! I know!" Hiccup shouted as they skimmed across the ocean, the waves breaking just a few feet beneath them. Taking a calming breath, Hiccup pushed down on the stirrup again, which caused Toothless to go careening to the side, almost crashing into the sea.

"Sorry!" Hiccup exclaimed as he readjusted them, which did little to mollify Toothless as the dragon grumbled angrily before reaching up and slapping Hiccup across the face with one of his ear flaps.

"Hey! I said sorry!" Hiccup shouted in annoyance but the dragon paid him no heed as he moved to climb higher into the air, Hiccup adjusting the tail fin to allow him to.

"Where are we gaein'!?" Merida called over the wind as Toothless climbed towards the clouds.

"Up, I'm guessing," Hiccup stated as they continued to climb, angling back towards Berk. Looking back over her shoulder, Merida let out a shocked gasp as she saw the island of Berk stretched out before her. From the forest to the cliffs to the village and its harbor to the great rocky crag at the center of the island, she could see everything and it was breathtaking.

"Hiccup," Merida said, her voice barely above a whisper, "Hic, ye hae tae see this."

"Wow," Hiccup muttered in amazement as he looked back at the landscape stretched out below them. As he looked, his foot accidentally slipped from the stirrup and Toothless' tail fin slammed shut. The Night Fury let out a confused grunt before he began to plummet back to the earth. The sudden change in direction caused both Merida and Hiccup to rise out of their seats, their safety lines being the only things keeping them from floating away from Toothless.

"Hiccup!" Merida screamed in terror as they began to fall towards the ground.

"Pull yourself in!" Hiccup instructed as he grabbed his safety line and yanked himself back into Toothless' saddle, Merida quickly following suit before grabbing on to the young man as tightly as she could.

As the earth came rushing towards them, Hiccup held the grips of the saddle so tightly his knuckles turned white. A million thoughts raced through Hiccup's mind as he tried to figure out what to do, but failing to do anything at all, squeezing his eyes closed to try and focus.

"_Trust your instincts_," the memory of Hilde's voice cutting through his thoughts like a knife through cloth, "_It's in your blood_."

All at once, Hiccup felt a calmness come over him, his senses sorting through the stimuli that surrounded him. The whistling of the wind rushing past his ears. The combined warmth of Merida and Toothless contrasting the cool air rushing by. Merida's earthy smell mixing with Toothless' sulfuric one. Taking a deep, calming breath, Hiccup opened his eyes and pressed down on the stirrup.

Toothless spread his wings wide as they went, the wind blasting by as they leveled off and went zooming down the hill towards the cliffs mere feet above the tree tops, the branches rippling in their wake. It took every ounce of Toothless' strength to keep his wings from snapping backwards against the drag of the air as Hiccup and Merida hung on for dear life.

The two teens and the dragon went whizzing over the cliffs and back out over the ocean, shooting past Fishlegs and Hilde.

"Whoa!" Fishlegs exclaimed, adjusting his helmet as the wind from the Night Fury's passing blasted them, "Look at them go!"

"He's trusting his instincts," Hilde commented with a smirk.

"Odin's beard!" Fishlegs exclaimed as he watched Toothless and the two teens go flying across the water, "They're heading right for the rocks!"

"Not to worry, Leser," Hilde stated, her smile growing, "He knows exactly vat he's doing."

"Hiccup!" Merida said worriedly as they shot towards the forest of rock outcroppings that surrounded the island, still burning off the momentum of their freefall.

"It's okay!" Hiccup shouted back as they approached the weather-worn monoliths, "I've got this!"

As Toothless shot into the rocks, Hiccup banked him to the side, sending the dragon swinging around the stone spire before using the momentum to shoot around a second rock in the opposite direction. As they came around the rock, they found another one wedged between two other pillars directly in front of them.

"Duck!" Hiccup shouted as Toothless swooped under the rock so close that as Merida ducked her head, she felt her hair graze against the salty stone.

"This last part looks tricky!" Hiccup called as they approached two stone pillars that only had a small gap between them but were too large and too close to get around at the speed they were flying, "Hold on!"

Pulling to the side, Toothless closed his wings as he entered the crevice sideways, Hiccup and Merida pressing their bodies tightly against the Night Fury. For an instant everything was dark as the unforgiving rock sped by, then the trio broke free, Toothless opening up his wings and spinning around before they hit the water, sending them skimming across the open ocean.

"You did it!" Merida exclaimed ecstatically as she hugged Hiccup with all her strength and kissed him on the cheek as the young man threw his hands in the air and let out a whoop of exhilaration. Toothless barked his agreement, a look of pure joy on his face as he fired a plasma blast in triumph. The purple ball of flame burst in front of them creating a sooty cloud that they were about to fly directly into.

"Aw, come on," Hiccup groaned as he dropped his arms while Merida ducked behind his back.

_Later_,

The five of them sat on the cliff as the sun began to set into the sea, coloring the sky with oranges and yellows. They were gathered around a small fire that Hiccup and Toothless had built, cooking fish that the Night Fury had caught over the flames. Toothless was chowing down on a pile of fish that he had gathered for himself. Merida snickered as she looked over at Hiccup, whose face was still marked with soot and hair still slightly swept back. Hiccup merely rolled his eyes while smirking at his girlfriend, who snuggled up to him as they roasted their fish.

As they sat, the sound of high pitched screeching caught their attentions. Looking up, they saw a group of four Terrible Terrors approaching them. Toothless snarled angrily as he watched the small dragons approach, covering his pile of fish with his front paws. As one Terror moved towards Toothless' fish pile, the Night Fury snapped his jaws at it, which distracted him long enough for a second Terror to dart in and drag half a fish away. Toothless watched in annoyance as the Terror bickered with a third over the food before chasing it away with a blast of fire.

Glancing back at his fish pile, Toothless noticed the fourth Terror trying to make off with a whole fish. Snarling, Toothless lashed out and grabbed the other end of the fish with his mouth, entering into a short tug of war with the smaller dragon. Giving a quick yank, Toothless pulled the fish from the Terror's grasp, leaving it only a mouthful of fish fin as he swallowed the fish whole before making a noise that sounded like mocking laughter directed at the smaller dragon.

The others watched wearily as the Terror angrily spat out the fin and began growling and posturing towards Toothless, who watched with bemusement. As the Terror took a breath to shoot Toothless with a miniature fire blast, Toothless spat a glob of plasma down the smaller dragon's throat, causing it to briefly swell up like balloon as its attack backfired, before it wandered off in a daze with smoke trailing from its nose and mouth.

"Huh, not so fireproof on the inside are you?" Hiccup questioned as Merida coaxed the Terror over and broke off a piece of her fish.

"Here ye gae," she said, feeding the Terror from her hand. After the Terror happily ate the piece of fish, it carefully wandered to Merida's side before curling up next to her. Merida looked at the Terror in wonder before slowly reaching down and caressing the dragon's head, causing it to purr.

"Wow," Hiccup said with amazement, "Fishlegs, I hate to tell you, but I'm starting to think everything we know about these guys is wrong."

"Great," Fishlegs replied with a disappointed sigh, "Good to know all that time memorizing the Dragon Manual was a waste."

"It vas hardly a vaste, Leser," Hilde said with a chuckle as her crow pecked at the fish head Toothless had given it, flapping its wings and cawing angrily as the Terror's tried to steal its meal, "Despite vat Reiter says, your information is not wrong, merely incomplete."

"Well then, Ah guess it's our job tae complete it," Merida stated.

"I am sure you vill," Hilde replied with one of her enigmatic smiles, "Of zat, I am certain."

A/N: Another fun chapter to write, I especially enjoyed writing the flying scene. It was also nice to write Hilde again after a few chapters of her not appearing. I wanted to reveal a little about her, but not too much, I hope you guys liked it! Mysteries are fun right? As always, feedback and critiques are always welcome so please review! Later!


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